Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha: JUDGEMENT
by TheForgottenPen
Summary: Somewhere in the distant future, a star has died and a Devil was born. Judgement is imminent, and Fate and Nanoha now find themselves in a battle with a dark remnant of their destiny. Post-Strikers NanoFate
1. The Genesis

"Impossible."

At the center of all of time and space, Hayate floated over the ruined world of Mid-Childa's stratosphere. Her legs hung limply underneath her, left arm feebly grasping her broken right one. All inhabitants of what used to be the most technologically powerful world evacuated off of the planet's surface. The once bustling cities and lush green landscapes were reduced to nothing but rubble and dirt. In front of her was the largest TSAB Headquarter Space Station that acted as a sentry over the once majestic Mid-Childa, not to mention the last one standing. Well, was the last station, as the only thing that remained was a tattered wreckage of the base. The landscape below her was lined with holes and craters, while the entire inside of the base burned, reduced to nothing more than a sickening pink pyre. It was the ultimate symbol of the annihilation of the Time Space Administration Bureau.

The last remnants of the grand inter-dimensional military force was gone. Around her, far into the distance, multiple planets under the administration's jurisdiction burned and floated lifelessly across the dimensional sea. The source for this destruction? It went by many names, mostly uttered in fearful hushed whispers and prayers, but the most prominent and common name that was used to describe the being was a very simple one that also chilled the hearts of millions across the universe. Shiroi Akuma, the White Glinted Devil.

Hayate was startled when she saw a shadow rise out of the destroyed base. From the flames rose the horrendous figure that haunted her nightmares for nearly a year. The figure was cloaked in darkness, born from the flames of the wreckage behind her. But she knew that this darkness was not the Devil's true color. No, in true ironic fashion, the color of this specific devil was a dull, lifeless white. The head was hidden behind a colorless helmet, with two horns protruding from its side. A plume of red hair flowed behind it, held in place by a long flowing white ribbon. Its body was garbed in sleek metal armor, with the cloth of its jacket and waist cape dancing in the winds. Within its left hand was a staff with a triangular shaped structure wrapped in a white cloth at the end of the handle, that seemed to glow ethereally bright in the darkness of space, hiding the device underneath. Taking in the appearance of the figure in entirety, only now did Hayate realize how robotic the Devil looked. Not a glimpse of skin or any sign of humanity present within its appearance. It felt all too soulless and mechanical.

Hayate couldn't help but grit her teeth.

"So this is the end, huh?"

The Devil merely tilted its head.

Hayate let out a hollow chuckle. "You actually did it." Her arms fell to her side. "I never thought that it'd be you of all people, but you actually destroyed all of it. The Time Space Administration Bureau is gone…"

The Devil merely replied back with silence.

"Was it worth it?" Hayate whispered. "With all those lives you ended, all those planets you razed, and all the destruction you've brought..." Blue eyes clashed with the V-visor that, despite its pink color, glowed ominously in the darkness. "At the end of the tunnel, were you able to find any peace for yourself?"

No reply.

"Answer me!" Hayate screamed, her eyes stinging with tears. "Are you satisfied with what you've done?!'"

The Devil pondered the brunette's question for a second, before it slowly, and almost mechanically, shook its head.

Hayate let out a shaky breath. Of course, she thought to herself. No person with a heart would ever be satisfied with this much devastation.

"Not yet."

Hayate's blood ran cold. That voice…

The voice was filtered through the helmet. It all sounded metallic in her ears, as every syllable that rang through the air felt like it was slicing her brain apart with every word she heard.

Even with all that filtering, she recognized that voice all too well. It was impossible not to. "Not yet?!"

The Devil nodded. "The Bureau hasn't suffered enough yet. Not nearly enough."

Hayate couldn't believe what she was hearing. "You-what?!" She motioned frantically to the blue and black desolation that surrounded them. "There's absolutely nothing left for you!"

"They must burn for all of it's sins. All of it." The Devil raised her right hand, and from the palm rose 12 glowing blue shards circling in orbit above her fingers. "Their past incarnation is no exception."

"The Jewel Seeds…" Hayate then realized what she meant. "Wait, you can't be-!"

"I am."

The Jewel seeds then floated above her helmet, spinning around the horns, like a halo of an angel. "With only twelve seeds, there is no hope of me opening the gates of Al-Hazard. However, twelve just might be enough to break apart space and time for me to travel to an alternate reality in the past." The Devils visor glowed, glaring at the stunned brunette. "Our past."

"I can't let that happen." The thought of such a monster being unleashed on all of her friends in the past made her sick to her stomach. "I can't let you do that, N-!"

Her voice died instantly, owing to the glowing white ring that constricted her throat. A magic bind, the Devil's signature. Her hands instinctively went to her neck in a desperate attempt to break the spell, but her efforts bore no fruit. Despite how futile it was, she struggled all the more as the Devil's hands stretched out towards her, as her body was pulled closer and closer, unimpeded and no longer under her control.

"With only twelve seeds, there is a very reasonable chance of failure. But twelve seeds alongside the Living Lost Logia, herself? The chances of success nearly doubles." Her gloved metal fingers clamped around the black book clipped to Hayate's side. "Don't make this any more difficult than this needs to be, Yagami Hayate." Hayate's eye welled up with tears at the sight of the Tome-like device, of the only remaining remnant of a dear friend long since lost, in the hands of a friend that was a dark shadow of her former self. It was too much. Like a reminder that she was forever destined to lose those closest to her.

Once it was in the Devil's hands, the binds of the book were forcefully broken and thrown open. White pages flew against the intense winds, and the jewel seeds began their dance over the legendary artifact. The winds intensified and the jewel seeds grew brighter and brighter. Above them, a ripple in space burst open with a brilliant blue light; a portal with black magic circling around it's edge eclipsed the sky. The portal pulsed, not unlike a beating heart, with every pulse sending forth an intense current of information and magic. As Hayate gazed into the portal's light, she could feel a great wave of nostalgia washing over her - the feelings of a past long since lost to time, brought back to the forefront, even if it was not theirs in truth, but a mere facsimile that came infinitely close to the life they once lived, a life, at one point filled with their smiles and their happiness.

The waves of magic from the jewel seeds sent forth an intense current of dimensional distortions across space and time, destroying nearby planets and altering physics around the both of them. With a wave of the Devil's hand, a white magic barrier enveloped both her and Hayate protectively from the aftermath of the jewel seed's activation. After a few minutes, the dimensional distortions died down, but not before the damage was done - the already ruined landscape of Mid-Childa was further ravaged, looking truly as though the planet had been put through the apocalypse and only barely survived the outcome.

"It is done." The Devil closed the book, and the jewels floated back into her grasp. She looked behind her through her visor and lifted the spell around Hayate's neck with a simple flick of her finger. The girl collapsed, placing both hands around her throat to mend the pain. She coughed and cried, but not from the pain. The Devil floated closer and knelt beside the brunette, placing the book back in its proper place.

"Do not try to stop me."

"Please don't go." Hayate cried. "It's not too late to turn back."

"It is too late for me, my friend." With that, the monster straightened her posture and turned her back to the brunette.

"What will you do when you're back there?" Hayate asked.

"I will staunch the flow of corruption from its source, and bring the Administration Bureau to its knees once again. Perhaps then I will find satisfaction."

"Is this what you've become?" Hayate bit her lips. "Is there nothing left inside you? Have you really forsaken your humanity?"

"Call me a Devil if you so wish. You would not be the first. Only a mission exists within me now. That is all." She then flew towards the portal in the sky, ready to commence the next part of her grand plan.

"Liar."

When she heard the girl question her conviction, she froze mid-flight.

"This is about Fate-chan, isn't it?"

The Devil swerved her head back at lightning speed, bringing along with it a pressure so strong, it almost made Hayate flinch. Almost, but she couldn't back out now. Still, her heart hammered loudly and rapidly against her chest.

"S-she wouldn't.." Hayate paused for a second, trying her damndest to regain some composure. "I mean, she would be very sad at-"

"Do not," The Devil hissed into her voice filter, "use her name lightly."

Hayate shook, tears once again beginning to resurface. But…

"I loved her too!"

But she wasn't going to back down to the Devil. She was going to defy her to the end. Even if it meant her death.

"She would have hated what you've become." A complete sentence. She didn't stutter, nor did her voice shake whatsoever. She made her statement clear, and the Devil clearly didn't like it. The thin visor across the helmet flared with a glow that radiated malice. Hayate breathed in deeply, closed her eyes, and waited for oblivion to take her. A couple of seconds passed, and she was surprised that, inexplicably, she still drew breath. Hayate opened one eye, albeit hesitantly, only to find that the white figure was flying away from her. She was, quite frankly, overwhelmed that she was spared from the Devil's wrath.

"Live your life how you see fit, Hayate." The Devil said with her back turned to her. "Protect the ones you love, and cherish them for as long as you have them. For you may not know when you will lose them." With that said, the armored figure made her way into the portal. Once she passed through the ripple in space, it disappeared in a flash of light. The portal to the past was gone, leaving the brunette staring blankly at the crumbling planets around her.

"That's not true." Hayate said with tears rolling down her face freely. "Now I've lost both of my best friends…"

* * *

Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha

JUDGEMENT

* * *

A/N: This chapter is pretty short, but its supposed to act as an intro. Future installments are going to be much longer. Please leave down your thoughts and review. The longer, the better for me. Thank you, everyone.

UPDATE: This chapter was re-written and re-edited. I want to thank the user Pencil Of The Gods for his tremendous work on polishing this chapter, and adding so much to this introduction. He's a lifesaver.


	2. Sitting Duck

_Disclaimer: I don't own anything. ;-;  
Re-Edited by Pencil of the Gods_

* * *

 **Sitting Duck**

Fate stretched her arms over her head, hearing a couple of satisfying cracks from her back, and letting out a yawn as she relaxed into her seat. Red eyes peered to the transport window to her side as she looked out onto the landing platform, eagerly waiting for her transport to take off. The sun of this galaxy rose from the trees, revealing the lush, green jungle that covered the majority of the planet. Peace was once again restored to this world, at least for now.

Her body was aching and tired, but her heartbeat was fast and erratic. With shaking hands, she placed one palm against her chest, in some vain hope to still the incredibly loud rhythmic beating. It wasn't nerves, nor was it stress. No, she was excited. After almost two years of fighting on a battlefield, there was one light that gave her strength. Her family waiting back at home.

She could picture it already. She would head up to the front door, stepping in to find her little girl running towards her and immediately jumping into her arms. Vivio would cry out her name and she would spin her around playfully, telling the girl how much she missed her and how everyday she would think about her. Then, she would appear.

Fate could once again hear her heartbeat pounding against her chest, only this time it was twice as loud.

She would then see a beautiful side ponytail of chestnut hair peeking out of the the kitchen. Then, a pair of blue eyes would stare straight into her crimson ones. She would get lost in the gentle orbs, as if she was adrift in the clear blue skies. With a soft voice, she would call out her name. Her best friend.

Fate could barely hear the sound of Bardiche calling out to her. All she could hear is the rapid thumping in her chest.

"Sir." The golden device rung. "Incoming call from Commander Yagami Hayate."

Fate hummed in response automatically, not hearing a word from her Intelligence Device. Her thoughts started to wander. She missed Nanoha dearly. Not a single day has gone by did she not think of the copper haired girl's beaming smile, and her kind-hearted childish voice. Not to mention her beautiful body that would put most supermodels to sha-

"FATE!"

"EH?" Fate jumped at the sudden sound coming from the holographic screen in front of her, which showed the image of a very annoyed looking Hayate crossing her arms. Her cheeks reddened as she glared daggers at her device. "Bardiche!"

[I'm sorry, sir] Bardiche apologised. [She's been calling for seven minutes.]

"Yeah!" Hayate pointed to her screen. "You leave poor Bardiche alone!"

"Geez." Fate pouted. "You're supposed to be on my side."

"And you were supposed to report back to me immediately when you got onto the transport. What's wrong with you?"

Fate's cheeks reddened even more at the question, and a knowing grin grew on the brunette's face.

"Oh." Hayate simply said. "Of course. What else could it be, PTSD?" Hayate sputtered her lips.

Fate could only twiddle her thumbs and look down onto her lap to escape the teasing look her friend was giving her.

"Hey, it's been some time since you last talked with her right?" Her friend's teasing expression faded away.

Fate could feel a pang in her chest. She let out a hollow sigh. "Yes."

"How long?"

"About a year and a half."

Hayate raised a brow.

"What happened?"

"The insurgent group tracked our communications, so I had to go dark for the remainder of the mission." Fate sighed. "I wanted to call her, but that would've endangered the mission."

Hayate frowned, understanding the blonde's obvious distress. "She missed you, you know."

Fate winced. "I know."

"Everyday she would ask me about you."

Fate could feel her fingernails digging into her palm.

"She was scared that you…"

"Never." Fate immediately raised her head and looked straight into Hayate's eyes.

"I know." Hayate said with a smile. "That's what I told her. That Fate-chan wouldn't go down that easily, knowing that you're back at home waiting for her."

Fate smiled warmly, knowing that she had a friend like Hayate to support her from home. "I owe you."

"What are friends for?" The brunette said with a wink at the end. "Now then," She then stood up straight in her chair and said, "Status report."

"Ma'am!" Fate made a quick salute with her right hand. "All the insurgents have been neutralized and the rebel cell leaders have been captured and await trial."

"Good work, Captain Harlaown."

"Thank you, ma'am." The stern smiles eventually broke until both friends shared a laugh. Everything came across as forced and awkward. They never really got used to the militant dichotomy between their ranks, even after all the years in service to the Bureau.

Hayate let out a loud sigh as she slumped onto her table, rather unprofessionally considering her rank. "Fate-chaaan" she cried. "I envy you."

Fate hid her chuckle behind her hand. "Why is that?"

"Cause unlike you, I don't have breaks between work." Hayate sniffed.

"Too much paperwork?"

"You have no idea, Fate!" Hayate wailed with crocodile tears leaking from her eyes. "Get this, they expect me to assemble thirty warships together! Everything is so hectic nowadays, I don't ever have time for myself anymore."

Fate tilted her head. "What happened?"

"Ah.." Hayate rolled her eyes. "There was a large dimensional disturbance in the outer rim of the explored dimensional sea, which caused an uproar in the higher ups for some reason." Hayate said as she sat up on her seat. "We've sent a small investigation team to the location, but they haven't reported back yet."

Fate hummed as she put a finger to her chin. "Maybe their communication was disrupted because of the dimensional distortion?"

"Right? That's what I'm saying, but apparently we can't take any chances, so I'm stuck with preparing contingencies just in case something went wrong, and you can imagine how long that will take."

"I hope everyone is alright..."

"These things are more common than you'd realize Fate." She sniffed and blubbered out a soft, "I have to work overtime..."

The blonde could only ease her friend with a sympathetic look. She chuckled at her distraught face and apologized with a simple, "I'm sorry."

"Don't be." Hayate said with a wave of her hand. "Just be prepared to go out on a lot of lunch dates with me when you get back so I can escape this cramped office of mine."

Fate rolled her eyes. "Sure, Hayate."

"Good." Hayate nodded with a satisfied grin on her face. "Alright, I'll leave you alone so you can call Nanoha."

"Um...actually…" Fate shyly glanced away from her holographic monitor. "I want to surprise her when I get back home."

Hayate furrowed her brow. "Fate, no." She said as she shook her head. "She's waited too long."

"I know, but that's why I want to surprise her." Fate said with a blush.

Hayate sighed. "Alright then." She really should speak out, considering how worried Nanoha was during her mission. Fate was playing a dangerous game, but she understood that no one else knew Nanoha more than she did. "It's your love life."

Fate's face erupted in a explosion of crimson. "Wha-what do you mean by tha-!"

"Bye bye!" Hayate waved with a teasing cheshire cat like grin.

"Hayate!"

The transmission was cut immediately by the other line before the blonde could get another word in.

Fate huffed as she laid back in her seat. She placed a hand over her eyes, and muttered to herself. "Does she know?"

The seatbelt light above her head flickered on, and she heard the engine of the ship come to life. The pilot then announced that the aircraft will be taking off soon. "Oh well…"

Fate sighed as she reclined back into her seat, letting sleep take her over. She'll interrogate Hayate once she gets back. Right now though, all she wanted to do was to relax and allow her body to get the rest it lacked for the last two years. The last lingering thoughts she had before drifting off to sleep was a head of copper hair flowing in the wind, and the sight of two mesmerizing sapphire eyes gazing at her. The figure extended a hand out, beckoning Fate to come to her. Fate extended her hand and ran, before being sent off to nirvana for a few well deserved hours.

* * *

Nanoha jolted upright, staring at the doorknob to her house, her hand still in her bag as she reached for her keys. Her legs felt tired, as if she was standing in the exact same spot for an extended amount of time. Did she doze off while getting her keys? Even now, she feel like she's sleeping while standing up straight. It couldn't have been more than a minute. Nanoha sighed as she finally grabbed the correct key she was looking for, and plunged it into the lock, granting her access into her abode.

"Hello? Nanoha-mama?" Nanoha heard her daughter call out from the living room.

"I'm home."

When she stepped through the door, she found the fourteen year old little blonde on the couch watching TV. She was surprised to see who was sitting beside her, however.

"Good evening, Ms. Takamachi." Einhart said politely with a bow.

"Hello there, Einhart-chan." Nanoha said before turning to her daughter. "You never told me we'd be having guests."

Vivio frowned when she saw her mother's face. "Mama, are you okay?" Under the older girl's eyes were dark bags, indicating a lack of sleep, and her skin was deathly pale. Looking at her closely, Vivio could tell that her mother was leaning against the wall to support herself. "What happened?"

"Ahah…" Nanoha smiled weakly and scratched her cheek. "Vita-chan told me to go home early and get some sleep today. I told her I was fine, but she told me that it was a direct order from Hayate."

"Mama…"

"Well, no use complaining about it." Nanoha exhaled a shaking breath as she hobbled over to the kitchen. "You girls hungry? I can make you some snacks."

Einhart and Vivio both exchanged worried glances. Both girls shook their heads.

"No thank you, ma'am." Einhart said.

"We'll just make some cereal." Vivio chimed in. "You should really rest."

Nanoha waved her hand dismissively, insisting on keeping herself busy for her daughter and her friend. "It's fine, it's fine. How about some sandwiches?" She said as she opened the upper cabinet to grab some plates.

A loud crash rang through the air.

"Mama!" Vivio hopped over the couch.

"Takamachi-san!'

Both girls rushed over to the kitchen to find two broken plates on the kitchen table. Nanoha was hunched over the counter, her hands meekly holding onto a piece of the broken glass. Her eyes were dazed and gazing at nothing for a second, before light returned to them. "Oh…" She muttered. A hollow laugh escaped her lips. "Pretty clumsy today, I guess."

"Geez!" Vivio grabbed her mother's arm, and wrapped it around the back of her neck. "Mama, you're doing it again!" She cried as she lifted the older girl to a standing position. "Vita-san said you need to rest!"

Nanoha groaned. "You're right." She was overdoing it again. Ever since the accident, she's promised Fate that she wouldn't push herself past her limit. "It's been so long that I forgot."

Einhart opened the door to Nanoha's bedroom, as Vivio led her mother in and laid her in bed. "Now rest! I'll clean up in the kitchen and prepare food." Vivio said, using the most mature voice she could muster up. It came out awkward and a little forced, but no less endearing and adorable. "You're such a good girl."

"Of course!" Vivio beamed at the praise. "I've been raised by the best mamas in the world." She said as she placed the blanket over the visibly exhausted women. She bent low and gave her a kiss on the cheek before stepping out of the room alongside her green haired friend.

"Is she gonna be alright?" Einhart asked.

"Of course she will." Vivio nodded. "My mama is the strongest person I know."

Meanwhile in the bedroom behind the door, Nanoha could only sink deeper into her pillow.

"Oh Vivio…" Nanoha frowned. "If only you knew how weak your mother is…"

For as long as she had raised her, Nanoha always tried to lead by example for her daughter. To always face your problems head on, and to always fight for what you believe in as well as for the people you love. She always stressed, however, that in order to do that, you must be strong yourself. She had instilled this value to the girl for six years, by setting an example; by always standing up straight, always speaking with a clear voice, and by working hard and smart. She believed that these small lessons would add up and cultivate her daughter into becoming a fine woman.

It was going good, up until two years ago. Ever since Fate was assigned to a high-risk mission regarding a rebellious uprising on one of the administered worlds. A mission that only an S or higher tier mage could sign up for, let alone hope to accomplish it. Estimated length of tour was around eight months, which was three times as long as the usual missions. Nanoha could remember that day clearly. She remembered the Bureau Intelligence department releasing a report indicating the execution success rate of an entire TSAB battalion of fifty AA+ mages rivaling that of one Fate T. Harlaown. She remembered their justification of only sending her alone, how it would put less people in danger, easier for covert operations, and how it was less costly at the expense of a possible longer mission. Nanoha scoffed when they failed to point out the increased danger to Fate's life.

This of course was only optional, and Nanoha was about to protest against the mere concept of it. However, Fate agreed to it, choosing not to risk her teammate's lives. Nanoha was admittedly very pissed off. Pissed off at the insurgents for rebelling, pissed off at the bureau for the mission, and pissed off at the Intelligence Department for its damn report. She wanted to be mad at Fate too. She was about to be until she saw the way Fate smiled when she accepted the mission. The warmth that radiated from Fate that day left her speechless and her heart racing.

Of course…

She couldn't be mad at Fate. She was always so selfless and so kind, it shouldn't be a surprise that she would put herself in danger to protect her team and the inhabitants of that planet. It was in her character. It was what made her Fate. She accepted that. Perhaps in her mind, she even expected it. So when they got back, she smiled for her friend and supported her decision. She should be happy for all the lives that will be saved by Fate, but yet she felt so sad and bitter.

Since when did I become so selfish?

It only got worse when transmissions between them got dark all of a sudden. At nights, Nanoha would exhale deep breaths of relief whenever she saw an incoming call from Bardiche. They would talk late into the night, asking each other how they were doing, and overall just enjoying each other's company. She slept well knowing that Fate was still alive out there. It was fine for the first five months until the transmissions suddenly stopped coming. She immediately panicked on the first night when there was no call, and that panic was justified when it stretched to a full week. She would then spend the rest of her nights sleepless and worried, praying to god that her dear friend was still alive out there. She contacted Hayate everyday, asking about Fate's current situation. The commander had little answers, however. She found her days becoming groggier; her strength decreasing, and her appetite shrinking. Her steps no longer had any stride, and her posture was slouched constantly. She felt exposed and defenseless. Like a sitting duck…

In every way, she felt like she had failed Vivio. Yet the girl still looked up to her, which vexed her to no end.

Nanoha sighed and opened up the drawer next to her bed and pulled out a bottle of prescribed sleeping pills, courtesy of Shamal. Perhaps this time, they will actually help against the nightmares.

"Fate-chan…"

* * *

 _What a hazy day…_

 _Nanoha groaned, wiping the sand out of her eyes as she stretched her arms above her head. She felt an immense sadness when she looked next to her spot on the bed to find no one beside her. That sadness was then immediately squashed, almost abrubtfully._

 _"Oh right." Nanoha said to herself. "Fate-chan's still at work." Nanoha happily chirped. She noticed something out of place, however. A golden triangle was laying on the pillow beside hers. "Oh? Fate forgot about you, Bardiche?"_

 _The golden device stayed silent._

 _Nanoha giggled. "Silly Fate-chan." She said as she shook her head lightly. "How's she gonna beat the bad guys without you, hmm?" She asked the device with a slight head tilt at the end._

 _This time, the intelligent device managed to say something._

 _[Ma'am…]_

 _"Oh dear!" Nanoha gasped, interrupting the device from continuing whatever he was going to say. It was probably not important, anyways. "I've got to get breakfast ready for Vivio!"_

 _Nanoha suddenly found herself in front of the dining table, with a healthy amount of food on it to feed three people. Her daughter, however, wasn't even touching her food._

 _"Vivio…" Nanoha called out gently. "Your eggs are getting cold." She knew very well how Vivio hated cold eggs in the morning. Really, the girl was picky about the strangest things._

 _The little girl sat still in her chair, staring down at her plate quietly. Nanoha couldn't quite see the girl's eyes, as they were covered by her blonde bangs. She heard a sniffle, followed by a quick hiccup._

 _"Vivio, what's wrong?" Nanoha was confused. "If you don't finish eating, you're going to be late for class."_

 _"I'm not hungry…" The young teen, which displeased the elder Takamachi. She always taught her daughter to speak with a clear voice. Muttering quietly wasn't what a strong Takamachi would do._

 _"Vivio, if you don't eat now, you're going to be hungry later on in class."_

 _"Mama…" Vivio muttered again, only this time, Nanoha could hear the young girl's voice shaking. "I don't wanna go anywhere today." She said as she raised her head. Nanoha was surprised to find her daughter's eyes brimming with tears._

 _Oh dear, she was having a bad day. Nanoha understood. It's only natural to have a few off days. But today was so pleasant though, how could anyone feel bad right now?_

 _"Vivio, you can't be sad. There's no reason to be sad." With all of her power, Nanoha mustered up the brightest smile to her daughter. "Even if you feel sad, you'll need to smile to make yourself feel better!"_

 _Vivio slowly backed away from the table._

 _"Mama…" She said with a hint worry and fear. "Your eyes…"_

 _"Hmm?" Nanoha tilted her head again as she stared into the little girl's eyes - well, as much as she could. Vivio seemed to be avoiding her gaze. What was wrong? "You're acting so strange today, dear."_

 _Raising Heart began to vibrate, warning her that she was late for work._

 _"Oh dear, where did the time go?" Nanoha pondered innocently. "I'm heading out now!" She said as she headed out the front door. Vivio merely stayed in the same position at the table, staring at the front door with sadness. Confusion, and the barest hints of fear in her eyes._

 _Nanoha's day blurred by once again, and she found herself sitting in the cafeteria with Hayate and Signum. They were being awfully quiet, and neither of them were touching their lunch._

 _"And this morning, I found Bardiche laying on my pillow!" Nanoha continued her story as she picked up her fork and took a bite of her chicken. It tasted bland and dry, but she didn't mind._

 _"Fate-chan can be so forgetful sometimes." Nanoha said with a giggle._

 _Neither of her friends laughed, nor emoted at all, actually._

 _"Takamachi…"_

 _"..."_

 _Why was everyone acting so weird all of a sudden? Nanoha was getting more and more confused._

 _"Come on girls, you're both…"_

 _The two looked at her with sympathy. "Fate-chan wouldn't want you...acting like this."_

 _"..."_

 _"..."_

 _"Ah! I know!" Nanoha clapped her hands. "Once Fate-chan comes back from her mission, we should all go to the beach together!" It's been so long since she's been to the beach. What better way to mend a bad mood then with a little sand and water to play with?_

 _"Ohh, I hope my old swimsuit still fits. It seems a bit too childish for me now." Nanoha pouted. "But Fate-chan would still look good in her old one! Fate-chan would look good in anything!" She gushed as she covered her face with both of her hands._

 _"Stop…"_

 _Nanoha froze and looked at Hayate, whose hands started to shake with frustration. Signum looked down at the table, hiding her gaze under her pink hair._

 _"Stop this already, Nanoha-chan…"_

 _Nanoha was getting confused again._

 _"What are you talking about, Hayate?"_

 _"It's okay… you know?" She said softly._

 _"Hayate, you're scaring me…"_

 _"It's okay to feel sad." Tears started to drop from the brunette's eyes. "We're here for you."_

 _"I don't understand." Nanoha simply said. "Why should I feel sad?" She smiled once more. But . . . it strained somehow. As though there was some invisible force tugging at her lips, resisting it._

 _"Enough." Signum raised her head, finally gathering the courage necessary to face the Ace of Aces._

 _What she saw broke her heart and horrified her at the same time to the point that she nearly shook._

 _"Signum, don't-"_

 _"Takamachi…" Signum interrupted her mistress. She stared straight at the auburn haired girl. She saw the way her lips were tilted upwards. It would've been deemed a smile by anyone, if it wasn't for the dead, lifeless eyes that hung above them. The usual bright crystal blue orbs were replaced with dull dark irises that reminded the knight of the dark abyss of the deep Belkan seas._

 _"It's time to face reality."_

 _Nanoha felt confusion._

 _"You can't hide from this anymore."_

 _She then felt anger._

 _"Fate Testarossa is dead."_

 _Then she felt madness._

* * *

"I'm home…" Fate whispered as she tiptoed into the living room of her house. When she got home, it was already past two in the morning. She was surprised to find some of the house lights on, primarily the kitchen and hallway lights. She flipped the switch for both, but found a source of light still emanating from Vivio's room. She peeked through the crack of the door. Inside, she found her daughter snuggled up in her comforters alongside Einhart. The two slept soundly, with Vivio clinging to the taller girl's shoulder and using it as a pillow.

She sighed. "This takes me back…"

It was like gazing into her past, when she spent those nights sleeping over at Nanoha's house as a child. Nanoha was always the clingy one, and it looks like Vivio has inherited that trait.

"Speaking of which…"

Her heart leapt in her chest as she neared the master bedroom. She could hear the sound of breathing behind the door.

Fate then heard her voice.

"Fate-chan…"

"Nanoha?" She whispered.

Was she asleep?

Without thinking, she placed her ear to the wooden door.

"Hm...Hah...Fate-chan..."

All of the blood in Fate's body started to rush all the way to her head. Her vision blurred and her face felt like it was burning like the surface of the sun.

"W-what is she doing?"

Her head started to feel light, and her thoughts were tinted pink for a moment, until she heard the sound of hiccup's followed by the sound of crying.

"Fate-chan!"

"N-Nanoha?!"

Fate immediately opened the door to find Nanoha thrashing around in bed, still in her blue and white TSAB uniform. All the pillows were scattered all over the floor, and the sheets hung limply off the corners of the mattress.

"No...you're all lying to me…" Nanoha cried out into the night.

Fate rushed over to the side of the bed.

"Nanoha!" She shook the crying girl's shoulders. "Nanoha, wake up! You're having a bad dream!"

"No...no…" Nanoha muttered, tears leaking from her closed eyes. "Fate-chan don't leave me."

A wave of ice washed over Fate's senses. She released her hold on her friend's sleeping shoulders for a second.

"Fate-chan, where are you?" The girl wailed. "I'm scared."

"Nanoha…" Fate could feel her heart breaking in two. Her eyes wandered to the counter next to the bed to find a bottle of sleeping pills. It's cap was off, and a few pills dangled on the hard table.

Since when did Nanoha need sleeping pills? A crushing sense of guilt suddenly weighed down upon her soul.

The auburn haired girl turned in the bed again. Immediately, Fate gathered all the pillows strewn across the floor and lifted the covers over the bed once more. Without bothering to change out of her black enforcer uniform, she got under the sheets and placed the pillows back underneath the sleeping girl's head.

"Everything's white…"

"Shhh…" Fate cooed as she laid in bed and cradled the shaking girl into her chest. She rested her chin on her head and held her close.

"It's okay. I'm here for you." Fate whispered into Nanoha's ear, combing through her copper hair. "I will never leave your side."

Nanoha's shaking subsided, as did her manic mutterings. Still though, Fate continued to hold on tightly to the girl. Her eyes bore into the wall, she was lost in thought. She berated herself - for nearly two whole years, she'd left her in the dark. She never expected to cause this much pain to her friend.

She was so stupid sometimes.

She looked down at the sleeping girl nuzzled against her chest. Nanoha looked so vulnerable, which was a rare sight to behold. Normally she was so in control. In command of herself - it was the way she was, even when she was younger. Tears were always reserved for later. It was one of the many traits that drew her to Nanoha.

"Nanoha…"

She loved how warm she felt at that moment. It had been too long since she held her. The way Nanoha's body melded into her's just felt...right. Like two pieces of a puzzle perfectly fitting into each other.

"I…"

How pathetic. Even now, when she was asleep, she still did not have the courage to say those three sacred words to her.

Instead, she placed her lips on top of the girl's forehead, and began to sing a tune. A song that Nanoha once sang to her when they were little.

 _"My wish my love…_

I hope your tomorrows will shine like the clear blue skies…"

Almost immediately, the whimpering from the auburnette ceased.

 _"My wish, My love…_

 _I gathered my 'thank yous'_

 _You can't see my bouquet but take it okay?_

 _Even if it's too much to hold_

 _Take these feeling I can't say_

 _With a brilliant smile I will send them to you..."_

If she didn't know any better, Fate could've sworn she heard a sigh of contentment. Hopefully now, Nanoha would be able dream peacefully.

 _"My wish, my love…"_

* * *

Out in the darkness of space, a sudden flash of light appeared, and from that singular luminosity came forth thirty well armed, highly armored Warships, all bearing the insignia of the Time Space Administration Bureau.

At the back of the armada was the Stonehenge, a large gray battle cruiser that featured multiple magical turrets on its side, and boasting one of the biggest cannons in the navy on its front, rivaling that of the Ar-en-ciel. It was one of the most decorated battle cruisers in the Sailing Force and has led countless battles, attaining victory after victory for the Bureau.

"Admiral, we have successfully broken through slip-space."

At the helm of the ship was Admiral Jean-Louis; a by-the-books, hardened looking man with short blonde hair. By his side was Diana, a younger girl with black shoulder length hair who acted as the executive assistant officer to the crew.

"Good."

Despite his young age, he spoke with a voice that held authority.

"Keep an eye out for any signs of dimensional disturbance. Also locate the previous investigation unit. Command wants a cargo shi-"

"Uh sir." One of the personnel on the deck said. "You might want to take a look at this."

A small section of the front screen of the command deck magnified. What was shown was a large field of debris littered across the vacuum of space. Upon closer inspection, the debris contained parts of warships and transport crafts, all of which contained the TSAB shield emblem.

"Dear lord." Jean-Louis held a hand to his mouth.

"Looks like we've found the recon team." Diana commented.

"And the cargo ship." One of the operators highlighted an orange cylinder like ship that seemed to have been blown in half.

"Who could've done this?" One of the workers said, apprehension clear in her voice.

"Or what?"

"Cut the chatter, folks." Jean-Louis ordered. "We'll worry about that later. Right now, we need to contact command and report on the current status of the cargo and investigation teams."

"Roger that" Gene, the communications officer lazily sounded off. "Poor SOBs." The man lamented when he looked at the debris field once more before trying to get a connection to Mid-Childa. However, the frequency immediately died out.

"What the hell?" He muttered and tried again, but the communication frequency would die out once more.

"What's wrong, Gene?" Jean-Louis asked.

"Uh, sir? The line won't connect."

"What?" Jean-Louis exclaimed. "Check regular radio frequencies."

Gene nodded. "Everyone, sound off in regular comm channels."

A hail of thirty resounding affirmative responses could be heard over the channel.

"Regular broadcasting is a little fuzzy, but functional, kinda." Gene reported. "But unless command doesn't mind waiting a few thousand years, we're not going to be able to tell them anything without magic."

"Are the dimensional disturbances messing with the frequencies?" Diana questioned.

"No ma'am." One of workers in the front deck answered. "Most of the dimensional disturbance has already dissipated."

"Then what's going on?" Jean-Louis grabbed his chin and pondered. "Hold on..."

No magical communications..

Disrupted radio waves…

Out of nowhere too. That could only mean…

Oh no…

"A Jamming Spell!"

Suddenly, one of the warships on the right side of the fleet exploded without warning.

"What the hell?!" Diana jumped at the sudden eruption.

"We're under attack!" Gene cried out.

"Everyone, keep comm channels open!" Jean-Louis ordered.

 _"S-sir yes si-!"_ One of the ships yelled out before the call died completely. After that, a whole chorus of screams of terrors could be heard before the links to those ships were gone too.

Jean-Louis glanced outside his windows and saw some of the ships surrounding his blowing up in white flames.

"Sir!" Gene called out. "Warships Columbus, Nebulon, Argama, and Siegland have been neutralized all at once!"

"Impossible!" Jean-Louis slammed his fist onto his chair. "Do we have any visual on the enemy?!"

"Radar's clear, sir!" One of the workers of the Stonehenge replied.

"Forget the radar then! Check your cameras and windows!"

 _"Negative sir!"_

 _"Nothing over here."_

 _"I got nothing, boss!"_

 _"Oh GOD-"_

"Aurora's gone, Jean!" Gene called out.

Jean-Louis began to panic. How could this be happening? The enemy's magical presence is cloaked from radar. How did this person know every single one of his formation's blind spots?!

"Scatter!" He yelled through the comms. "Defensive formation! Notify me when you see anything!"

The remaining ships then dispersed, breaking formation to get into a new one. The transition felt too long however. Over the comms, Jean would occasionally hear the blood curdling screams of radio from the other ships, before Gene confirmed their demise. Jean's eyes dilated and his heart began to race - perhaps the only thing keeping him standing was the rush of adrenaline coursing through his body.

 _"Admiral! Engine's reactor core is malfu-!"_

"Trinity has been shot down!" Gene relayed with panic gradually rising in his throat.

Jean-Louis could only cover his eyes with both hands. For the first time in his career, he felt helpless. This level of destruction, the amount of deaths that occurred in the short span of time - it was like nothing he'd ever experienced.

A few quick seconds passed, and everything was quiet. But for everyone on board the Stonehenge, those seconds felt like hours.

 _"S-Sir! We have visual contact!"_

Jean-Louis then raised his head towards the command screen. "Put it on screen, now!"

The screen then came to life, showing a broadcast from one of the ship's point of view. The image magnified on an incoming white dot, showing a white metallic figure speeding towards the warship. Within one of its hands was a staff with the top covered by a glowing bandage. The figure's head was covered by a white helmet with two horns protruding upwards parallel by it's head, followed by a plume of red hair. The only thing noticeable upon it's visage was a V-shaped visor that glowed a disturbing pink light that contrasted the blackness of space.

Jean-Louis froze in fear for a second. "W-what the hell is that?"

 _"Admiral!"_ The captain of the ship broadcasting the signal cried out. _"Help! It's coming for us!"_

The white figure extended a hand out, pointing its index finger towards the ship and shot forth a large beam of white magical energy.

The transmission to the ship then died. The last thing Jean heard was the screams of the crew at the last second. "Damn…" Tears started leaking from his eyes. "Lock on to that son of a bitch!" He ordered the remaining ships in his fleet.

 _"Affirmative, admiral!"_ The remaining captains howled, equally eager to show their wrath towards the assailant.

The targeting computers on all the battle cruiser then homed in on the white armored figure, and began sharing its coordinates to the other ships. When the targeting reticle turned red, his eyes widened in manic fear and anger.

"Shoot him down!" He cried out. All the cannons on all the ships began laying fire onto the mysterious figure.

"SHOOT HIM DOWN!"

The torrent of magical cannon fire came at the white figure like a cascade of falling rainwater. Despite this however, the white mage easily dodged and rolled in between the magic rounds with mechanical precision and majestic ease at the same time. The amount of magic cannon rounds seemed to have rivaled the amount of stars present in the background, yet all of them seemed to have just phase right through the armored person.

It sped towards the rest of the fleet, travelling through space much faster than before, becoming a white line across the inky darkness of space.

"Is that a mage?" Diana asked, unable to believe what she was seeing.

"It can't be." Jean-Louis muttered. "No mage can move that fast…"

"It's a demon, man!" Gene cried.

The white figure held up one hand, summoning forth a field of eight glowing white orbs.

"Axel shooter..."

With a magic incantation and a swift wave of her arm, the orbs then began their flight out in different directions. Each of them aimed at different warships, they made contact in mere seconds, and their effect was immediate. The ships ignited into brilliant balls of burning steel, a final coffin for its crew.

"Burn them all."

The white mage, alongside it's white orbs, began cutting a clear path through the Armada of warships with contemptuous ease. One by one, each gargantuan machine of war was brutally shot down. As the numbers of ships continued to dwindle, the mage raised one of its hands and casually blasted two cruisers with one blow, all while continuing it's dance between the cannon fire from the remaining ships.

 _"Admiral!"_ A voice pleaded through the comms of the Stonehenge.

 _"We're being slaughtered out here!"_

 _"We're sitting ducks!"_

"It's just one man!" Jean-Louis growled. "How are you not hitting him?!" He cursed under his breath as he anxiously clawed at his scalp.

"Aigion, hold your position and continue to lay down covering fire!" He commanded. "Captain of the Magellan, can you position yourself behind the enemy and flank them?"

 _"We can try, sir! However, they seem to know where we're going to go before we even start moving!"_

True to the captain's word, as the Magellan began its flanking maneuver around the sea of bullets, the white mage already flew underneath both the Magellan and the Aigion's view before it could finish getting into position. The enemy, cloaked in the darkness of space, began laying fire on all directions. Beams of white and pink crashed into the metal of both ships. The turrets positioned beside the Aigion began to shatter one by one. Jean's grip on his armrest tightened as he realized that his tactics were utterly failing him.

He looked out onto the carnage outside the windows the bridge. His heart sank as he made a headcount. The armada of what used to be around thirty warships was now reduced to just eight. Eight vessels that housed dozens of men and women, crying out for his help.

"Target the bastard with the main cannon!" Jean-Louis ordered the crew.

"But sir-"

"Do it now!"

The targeting computer locked on to the white mage, who was currently pulling aggro with the other ships.

"Fire!"

The main cannon of the Stonehenge fired a ball of green energy at the white mage, who turned it's head just in time to see the incoming blast and move out the way. Jean-Louis could only watch in horror as the green ball landed on one of the battle cruisers that floated behind the mage. In an instant, the cruiser was set ablaze in green flames.

"Friendly fire! Friendly fire!" One of the helmsman in the front relayed.

 _"Admiral!"_

 _"With all due respect, but what the fuck was that, sir?!"_

 _"Holy shit! Holy fucking shit!"_

 _"I...I didn't mean to..."_

The armada was now reduced to seven ships.

Jean-Louis's blood chilled to ice as he saw the white figure glower at him through the window for a second, before speeding off towards the rest of the remaining ships. The white trail of light passed through the six titanic warships within a small time frame. A split second later, those ships began to explode one by one. The once bustling comm channels filled with panicked yells and dying screams was now eerie silence. The crew of the Stonehenge could do nothing but stare at the incoming white devil.

"Jean…" Gene called out. "What should we do?"

Jean-Louis could only look in despair at the tattered remains of his forces, as well as the countless bodies that floated in space. Some of them still writhed and moved in vain as their oxygen was sucked out of their lungs.

He desperately tried to ponder on what he should do at that moment. Mentally he sifted through all the drills and battle tactics he learned under the tutelage of the Ace of Mid-Childa. In the end, however, he could only let out a hollow sigh. A strange sense of peace filled his chest; a sort of levity that was both dreadful and relaxing to him at the same time.

"Oh…alright." Gene only sank further into his seat. "So this is how it ends, huh?" He then got out a pack of cigarettes and lit one up. Diana stepped close to Jean-Louis' side, and held his hand, clasping her fingers with his.

Within the devil's freehand, a flash of lightning appeared in its finger, before a large curved yellow blade of plasma was conjured up. The figure held back its arm, ready to swing down its mighty plasma sword as it closed in on the command ship.

Jean-Louis looked up at his assistant, before facing the incoming enemy and finally saying, "It's been a pleasure, gentlemen."

The last thing the crew saw was a flash of gold as the Devil from space cleaved its sword down onto the command deck of the once mighty Stonehenge.

* * *

"Hmm…" Nanoha moaned as she felt the sunlight hitting her eyelids. Honestly, she wouldn't mind sleeping for a few more minutes. Last night probably was the first time she had a decent sleep in a long while. She sat up on her bed and stretched her arms over her head, releasing a few satisfying cracks.

She finally opened her eyes and saw Fate laying next to her with her head propped up in her hand.

"Good morning." Fate said casually.

"Oh Fate-chan, good morning." Nanoha said simply before turning around and getting up from the mattress.

"Ah shoot, now my uniform is all wrinkl-"

With a speed faster than most people could blink, Nanoha tackled the other girl onto the bed, pinning the blonde by the shoulders.

"N-no way." She whispered with a shaky breath. "This isn't real, isn't it?" Tears once again started to well up in her eyes. "God please, this dream is getting too cruel."

Fate only smiled and shook her head. "This isn't a dream."

Nanoha gasped when she heard her voice. When she heard Fate's voice. "It's been so long...since I heard your voice." She sounded so beautiful to her ears.

"You're really here, right? You actually came back to me, right?" Nanoha asked with shaking lips.

"You're alive, right?"

"You can see me, right?" Fate said.

"You can hear me, right?" She then reached towards her friend's face, wiping the cascade of tears off her cheeks.

"You can feel me, right?" She then pulled the auburnette down so that their foreheads were touching.

"See? I'm here." Fate said as she closed her eyes.

"F-Fate-chan!" Nanoha cried as she cradled the blonde's cheeks with shaking fingers. "Fate-chan! Fate-chan! Fate-chan!" She repeated over and over again, imagining that if she were to stop saying her name, it would be akin to not acknowledging her existence, and then the blonde underneath her would fade away into nothingness.

"Nanoha…" Fate could only bask in her friend's voice, savoring every sweet syllable her ears could pick up.

"Fate-chan…"

"Hmm…"

"Fate-chan…"

"Yes, Nanoha?" Fate questioned, her eyes still closed blissfully.

"I...you…"

Was she really going to say it?

Fate then opened her eyes. "Yes?"

Only to see an angry Nanoha raising a pillow over her head, primed and ready to be swung down.

"Fate-chan, _YOU IDIOT!_ " She then unleashed her wrath in the form of a sack of feathers.

Her voice shook the entire household, waking up a tired Einhart sleeping in a room across the hall. She raised her head, eyes still glued shut, and concluded that it was still too early to be awake.

She promptly flopped back into her bed.

"Idiot!" Nanoha screamed as she swung down with all her might at the blonde, who could only cover her face with both of her arms to defend herself from the feathery onslaught.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid, idiot, _Fate-chan!_ "

"Ow!" Fate spat out a feather from her mouth. "Nano-ow! What are you- ow!"

"Jerk!" Nanoha cried. "Idiot! Dummy!" With each insult, the blow from the soft fluffy weapon only increased in force. Fate started contemplating whether to put her Barrier Jacket on - if those swings got any stronger, she may actually get injured, pillow be damned.

"I was…" Nanoha's voice started to break. "I was so scared! You didn't call! You didn't send any messages!" She swung down once more, only the impact was much weaker. "I thought-", she hiccuped, "I thought that you were…"

Ahh, of course it was about that…

Fate lowered her arms away from her face, and spread them outwards, embracing her pillowy punishment with open arms as penance. Nanoha stopped her assault when she saw this, her arms still over her head with the pillow dangling from her fingers. She hesitated before dropping it from her hands and collapsing onto the blonde. She nuzzled her face into the other girl's neck as she held their bodies close together with her arms.

"Welcome back." Nanoha whispered into the girl's ear. "Fate-chan…"

Fate hummed as she wrapped her own arms around the auburnette in reciprocation and lovingly stroked her copper hair.

"I'm home."

* * *

 _A/N: I want to give a big shout out and thank you to the lovely Phoenixnext for beta-reading my story. I couldn't have asked for a better helper for this little tale. She's also there to kick my ass if I ever abandon this story, and I so need that._

 _Quick note: The helmet for the White Devil is supposed to look something like the head of the VF-0s from the Macross series._

 _As always, please show your support by leaving your thoughts, comments, questions, flaming, whatever, in the review box. It's always fun to read the reviews, especially the long ones, and it will certainly help out in future chapters. Until next time, this is Pen, signing off._


	3. Long For Yesterday

**Long For Yesterday**

With the sun already high in the sky, its rays of light slipping past the gaps of the curtains, reflecting off a mass of golden blonde hair. Hushed whispers and soothing words were the only sounds present, creating a sense of tranquility within the Takamachi bedroom.

"So that's why I wasn't able to call you." Fate explained as she gently stroked the back of the other girl's head.

"Hhm." Nanoha hummed, not unlike her daughter would usually do when she was younger.

Fate embraced the girl's body as she basked in her presence, taking in the faint scent of cherry from the copper strands underneath her chin. She felt the other girl shake with the occasional hiccups.

"I missed you, you know?" she said as she played with her hair, auburn strands slipping through her fingers with a familiar ease.

Nanoha hummed affirmatively into the collar of her black enforcer uniform and nodded her head.

"Are you mad at me?" Fate asked with closed eyes.

Nanoha hummed again and nodded once more.

Fate smiled and asked, "Can you forgive me?"

Nanoha shook her head furiously, tickling the blond's chin from the friction of the girl's hair.

"I see." Fate said with a steady voice, tightening her hold around the girl. "Then I'm not gonna let go until you do!" Fate proclaimed with a giggle.

Nanoha merely stayed still and silent, her face still buried into the blonde's clothes. A wave of sadness and unease began to set in. Was she really that mad?

"Nanoha?"

She turned her head and nuzzled her face against the blonde's neck. "If you say that…" Nanoha whispered. "Then I don't think I can ever forgive you."

Her face suddenly felt like the surface of the sun. A tiny, soundless squeak escaped through Fate's lips. But the only thing she could hear at that moment was the incessant, pounding in her ears, which Fate could only conclude was the sound of her own heart banging against her chest. Nanoha was never this daring whenever they teased each other. Her heartbeat grew louder and louder within her ears. Too loud actually, as Nanoha turned her head towards the noise.

"Mamaaa!" Vivio called through the door, before rapping her knuckles against it lightly. "Einhart-san said she heard you yelling this morning. Is everything alright?"

Nanoha opened her mouth, probably to tell her daughter to come in, but Fate placed a finger over her mouth before she could utter a word. A slight blush tinted her cheeks as she gave the blonde a curious look. Fate withdrew her finger and placed it in front of hers before uttering a hushed "Shhh…"

In a flash of yellow light, Fate rushed to the corner of the room and planted her back to the wall next to the door. Realizing what she intended, Nanoha gave her a knowing smile, which Fate responded to with a nod. No words were needed between them to convey the message.

"Actually Vivio," Nanoha called from the bed, "can you come in here for a second, dear? There's something I want to show you."

"Eh? Ah, sure," Vivio said through the door.

Nanoha heard the affirmative before she saw the doorknob turning. Vivio walked in through the door with Einhart following behind. The girls were already dressed in their school uniforms, although Vivio's bowtie was a bit skewed, and her uniform slightly ruffled. Einharts' hair looked like it hadn't been brushed either. The girls must have rushed over before they had a chance to finish getting ready.

As Einhart was about to enter, the green haired girl's natural instincts must have kicked in, as she paused, peering at something in the crevice between the door and its' hinges. When she saw the red eyes that playfully pleaded with hers, she couldn't help but grin and nod. Vivio, on the other hand, was surprised when she found her mother smiling at her on the bed - not the usual smile she forcefully wore for the past couple of months, but a genuine and honest one.

"Mama…" Vivio couldn't help but reciprocate with her own. "Your eyes look happy for once," she said as she approached her, "are you feeling better?"

"Yes." Nanoha said, her eyes brimming with brightness. "There's someone who wants to see you."

Vivio cried out when she felt a sudden force against her back, followed by a pair of strong arms wrapping around her, picking her up in one fluid motion. "Caught you." Vivio's breath caught in her throat mid-cry when she heard a familiar voice whispering into her ear.

"No way…!" she said with a growing smile as she looked, astonished, at her mom. She almost thought she was hearing things; this was a voice she hadn't heard from in a year! Droplets began to gather in her eyes, as her disbelief turned into excitement when she turned her head to see-

"Fate-mama!" Vivio turned around and wrapped her arms around her other mother's neck. "You're back!" She cried happily.

"I'm home!" Fate hugged and twirled her daughter around. "My, you have gotten bigger!"

"I knew you would come back, I just knew!" Tears of happiness leaked from her eyes as her hug tightened around the blonde. "Because Fate-mama is strong, and she'll always come back to us!"

"Thank you." Fate pulled the other blonde closer and kissed her forehead. "It's because of you and Nanoha-mama that I was able to keep on fighting."

"I never lost faith in you, Fate-mama!" Vivio turned around and said, "And neither did Nanoha-mama! She was strong and never gave up on you all this time."

Both her and Vivio then turned their attention towards the aforementioned woman, who smiled awkwardly and absentmindedly clutched the front of her shirt where her heart was. "That's right." She got up from the bed and walked over to the two, wrapping her arms around them. "Not once."

Fate's eyes widened briefly as she heard Nanoha's voice shake slightly, a tell she discovered whenever Nanoha lied or says something in half truths. Her heart sank when she saw a hollow flash within the once vibrant blue eyes.

"Nanoha…"

[Master!] Raising Heart rang on the nightstand next to the bed. [Incoming call from Hayate.]

"Oh shoot!" Nanoha placed a hand to her mouth. "I forgot about work! Put her through, please!"

[Alright.] The intelligence device glowed, and the holographic interface came to life above the red orb. On the screen, the image of a grinning Hayate came forth.

"Hiya, Nanoha-chan~" Hayate sang with a little wave. "I see you're enjoying the present I left you yesterday."

"Hayate-san!" Vivio waved at the projection screen from her position in Fate's arm.

"I'm so sorry, Hayate!" Nanoha rushed over to her mirror and started to smooth out her clothes. "I'll be there as soon as possib-"

"Don't you even think about it!" A fiery voice pierced through the call. Nanoha turned around towards the holographic screen and saw a small figure with twin crimson queues flowing behind her as she walked into view. Her brown uniform was neatly pressed and ironed, a stark contrast to the wrinkled white and blue rags Nanoha was currently wearing. She snarled and bared her teeth, making her frustration and disappointment well known to everyone in the room.

"Vita-chan…"

"You're stubborn, you know that right?" Vita said with Hayate nodding in the background. "I told you I can take care of the punks for a while."

Nanoha looked downward, her cheeks puffing at the prospect of being lectured at. Again. "But the new training lessons…" She offered meekly.

"What about it?!" Vita spat. "The old ones are just as hard, and it teaches them the same basic fundamentals as the new one!"

"Vita can handle the recruits, Nanoha." Hayate chimed in.

"And besides…" The brunette inspected Nanoha's appearance with mild scrutiny, taking note of the creases on her uniform, and the small, but noticeable bed hair. "You don't exactly look ready for work."

Nanoha looked down and merely tugged at the crinkled collar of her uniform, feigning childlike innocence.

Her friend's face softened as she said, "You've been so out of it lately that I was starting to worry about you more than Fate." Hayate said, as she shot a small wink at Fate. Her blonde brows furrowed, as she gently let the little girl in her arms down, who noticed the clock hanging above the holographic screen of Raising Heart.

"Hey, Fate-mama" Vivio whispered into the older blonde's ear. "Me and Einhart are going to take off before we're late for school. Can you make sure Nanoha-mama's alright?"

Fate couldn't help but smile at the growing maturity in the girl.

"Even after all this time, you still have managed to raise our daughter well," Fate thought as she snuck a glance towards Nanoha. She leaned down and placed a kiss on Vivio's forehead. "Of course."

With that, Vivio nodded towards Einhart, and the two girls left the room quietly as her mother continued to talk to the commanding officer.

"How about taking some time off now that Fate's back?" Hayate asked with Vita nodding in the background. "Rest of the week off. How does that sound?"

"T-that's not necessary, Haya-"

"Nope!" Hayate cut off her friend before she had a chance to decline her offer. "No negotiations. This is an order."

Nanoha's eyes narrowed as she looked away and clicked her tongue. Pulling rank on her once again. The occurrences were starting to grate her nerves, even if her intentions were good. "But won't people in the bureau ask questions?" Nanoha asked.

Hayate rolled her eyes. "Nanoha, it's Thursday. You'd be only gone for four days, I'm pretty sure no one will even notice you're gone. Besides, Shamal's got you covered with a doctor's note."

Wait a minute. Nanoha never remembered being prescribed a note from Shamal. Nanoha eyed the girl suspiciously. "What's the diagnosis?"

"Anxiety disorder." Hayate said innocently.

There was a moment of silence from both the bedroom and from Hayate's office. An annoyed expression started to form on Nanoha's face. "Hayate…" She sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. Noticing the growing irritation from her friend, Fate silently moved towards Nanoha as she argued with the brunette.

"It's fine, it's fine!" Hayate said as she waved her hand dismissively. "Everyone needs a vacation once in awhile. And besides…"

Nanoha grumbled and puffed up her cheeks as she was about to retort until she felt the familiar arms wrapping around her body.

Hayate smirked. "Are you saying you don't want to spend more time with Fate?"

Nanoha turned her head and looked into Fate's burgundy eyes. "Fate-chan?"

The blonde tightened her hold and rested her chin onto the nape of Nanoha's neck. "You do seem tired." She said in a soft tone. "I wouldn't want you getting sick. Consider her offer, for me at least?"

Nanoha flushed and relaxed her posture, leaning her head onto Fate's and nuzzling her cheek against her.

"Alright…" she said as she stroked Fate's head that was nestled on her shoulder. She then looked at the projection screen, and saw Hayate smiling innocently. Fate narrowed her eyes when she caught a devious glint within the brunette's eyes, but she decided to pay it no mind. For now at least. "Are you sure about this? Last time I checked, you were pretty up to your neck with work." Nanoha asked.

"O-oh that?" Hayate scratched her cheeks and looked away. "Most of that is already taken care of. Just the usual paperwork now and again."

"Well if that's the case…" Nanoha then looked at the redhead standing next to Hayate. "Are you okay with teaching the trainee's for the week?"

"Leave it to me." Vita said with a wink and proudly stuck her thumb to her chest. "Don't worry about them. They're a mild pain in the ass right now, but I'll whip them into shape soon. You remember that one punk, Gene?"

Nanoha couldn't help but giggle. "How could I not?"

"Think of him, only multiply that by twenty."

"Oh dear, then maybe I should come in for work." Nanoha said with a modicum of seriousness. "Atleast Gene had Jean-Louis and Diana to help him out."

"That lazy son of a gun," Vita spat, "but don't worry. It'll only make breaking them a lot more satisfying." She finished with a ominous toothy grin.

Nanoha sighed, but a small puff of air was exhaled in a form of a chuckle. "Try not to kill them now."

Vita merely waved her hand dismissively. "Nah, too much paperwork. Also not worth the effort of cleaning Eisen over."

Fate could feel a bead of sweat running down her forehead as she listened in on the conversation. She muttered a silent prayer, thanking the higher powers that her mentor was Linnith rather than the two instructors.

"Alright, alright. You two are starting to creep me out." Hayate clapped her hands. "Now that's settled, we'll leave you two to your business."

"Thank you, Hayate-chan." Nanoha graciously said with a slight bow. "You're always looking out for me."

"Anything for my best friend." Hayate beamed.

"I owe you one." Fate said as she looked up at the screen, her chin still resting on the other girl's shoulder.

"Well if that's the case then I can expect some results soon, right Fate?" She laughed at Fate with a wink.

"Okay, bye then!"

Hayate and Vita waved as the transmission flickered into oblivion. Nanoha gave Fate a curious glance. "What was that about?"

Fate stuttered and looked around the room in an attempt to not meet the other girl's gaze. "I'll tell you later."

* * *

Hayate stared at the blank holographic scene before she released a long sigh.

"Well that was easier than we expected." Vita said as she clasped her hands behind the back of her head.

"We can thank Fate-chan for that." Hayate turned off the hologram and leaned back into her chair.

"The girl just knows how to deal with Nanoha. One could only imagine how, right?" she asked sarcastically.

Vita huffed and smirked. "Just two blind idiots dancing around each other." Both allowed a moment of laughter, only for the room to turn quiet a second later.

"You think it was right to lie to them?" Vita asked. "It isn't exactly a vacation over here."

Hayate nodded and turned on her monitor once more. "We don't need to worry Nanoha any further than necessary, especially with Fate finally coming home."

She opened up a few readings from the last known location of the Stonehenge. Oddly enough, the readings showed no trace of dimensional disruptions anywhere. Yet she hasn't heard back from the fleet, even though she gave the admiral specific orders to contact her once they've reached their destination. The implications began to set in, and a sense of dread shrouded the room.

"Shouldn't you report this to command?" Vita asked.

"No." Hayate quickly replied. "Not yet at least. If what we're thinking is true, and there is something going on up there, then I don't want to trust the higher ranks anymore, at least insofar as coming up with a solution. All their answers seem to boil down to just throwing more of our men into the fire, and hoping they snuff out the problem even if some get burned."

She glanced over to the picture on the table of her with Nanoha and Fate posing and smiling in front of the camera.

"And command seems to be sending Fate on missions more frequently than all the other Enforcers. It wouldn't surprise me if they sent her off just as she got back, and I don't particularly feel like taking that gamble. So we have to make sure both Nanoha and Fate stay away from headquarters for the time being, just to be on the safe side. It's a long shot, but I atleast want to try."

She pressed a button on the screen, and the image of a smiling girl with light blue hair came up.

"Rein."

"Hello, Meister Hayate!" Rein happily cheered.

"Do you think you can send an unmanned probe to a specific set of coordinates for me?"

"Huh? A probe?" Rein looked confused, but nodded. "I can, but why?"

"A bit of recon work. Try to keep this on the down low too, if you can."

"Aye, Meister!" Rein saluted.

"Thank you, Rein." Hayate smiled at the Unison device. "Then I'll send you the coordinates." With that, the screen flickered off.

"You're gonna get in trouble," Vita warned, crossing her arms.

"Then maybe they should've told me what the hell I was supposed to be retrieving in the first place, instead of leaving me in the dark," Hayate bitterly snapped as she laced her fingers together. "Just typical. Always thinking of policies and end goals, but never taking into consideration about tactics and the lives of our men. A probe may more take time, but at least it'll tell me what I'm working with here. Damn them for expecting me to deal with this without telling me any of the details." Her eyes narrowed. Upon seeing the worried face of the small knight, Hayate sucked in a deep breath and let out a steady sigh. "Sorry... but a lot of people might have just died because of their . . . my carelessness."

"If something did happen to them." Vita offered the girl a sympathetic look as she placed a hand on her shoulder. "Then it wasn't your fault. You were just following orders."

Hayate leaned her head against her clasped fingers. Her knight's words were a small comfort, even so, she couldn't help but bear some of the responsibility as a commanding officer. "Why wasn't I informed of the transport team in the first place? What exactly were they transporting and where were they heading? No one's telling me anything, and you know what the worst part is?" she moaned the questions into her hands and silently prayed that the fleet was still alive, and all that had occurred was a simple malfunction of their communications. "I didn't even ask them. I just rolled along with whatever they said." However, with the events that was playing out in front of her, she couldn't help but feel a sense of doubt. Hopefully the images the probe brought back would assuage the mixture of guilt and apprehension she felt. Vita couldn't help but frown.

"Hey…" Hayate heard Vita say suddenly. "Nanoha...looked a lot better today, didn't she?"

Hayate raised her head and laughed, silently grateful for the sudden digression. "Yeah, thanks to Fate..." She said as she stared at the ceiling of her office.

Vita nodded. Her face was calm and content, as if a heavy weight was lifted off her shoulders. "She was actually smiling." When she saw the genuine happiness radiating off the auburnette, she felt a slight tinge of nostalgia, as if she was looking at the Nanoha from two years ago before Fate left for her mission. "I missed that smile."

Hayate turned her head towards Vita. Her eyes blinked with a hint of surprise before they softened as she regarded the girl with a smile.

"You really love Nanoha, don't you?"

The small girl merely scoffed. "What kind of stupid question is that? Of course I care about her."

Hayate stood up and patted the smaller girl's head. She was a bit surprised that the knight didn't fight back or shake the hand off. "You're really worried about her, aren't you?"

Vita was quiet for a second before she nodded. "I almost lost her once." She clenched her fingers into a shaking fist. "And I told myself that I would never let that happen again." She narrowed her eyes as she was reminded of the unpleasant memories. "I won't fail her like last time. I'll protect her smile with all my strength, even if it costs me my life."

"Right…" Hayate engulfed the small knight in a hug. "Like a true knight. Nanoha-chan is really lucky to have a guardian spirit like you looking out for her." Vita let out a modest hum in response to her master's kind, if not rather embarrassing words. "But you don't need to worry anymore. Fate-chan is back, and she is gonna take care of her from now on, ok?"

She could feel the little knight relaxing within her arms. "I guess if she makes her happy, then everything's fine." Vita huffed arrogantly, desperately trying to smother the sense of overbearing sentimentality she was currently exuding. "Someone has to look after that idiot after all."

Hayate hummed in thought. "You may be right. In that case then…"

Vita furrowed her brow when she saw Hayate rush back into her seat and typing something on the holographic screen.

"What are you doing now?"

Hayate winked. "Helping the idiot with our idiot."

Vita leaned in closer and peeked at the screen. "You're serious?" Vita chuckled. "Is that…a beach house?"

"That's a beach house, isn't it?" Nanoha asked, leaning her back against Fate as she examined the holographic screen above the golden device within the blonde's fingers.

"Seems like it." Fate said as she leaned backwards and crashed onto the bed. Nanoha squealed as she was pulled alongside towards the mattress. Fate hummed as she rested her chin atop of the chestnut head, inspecting the holo image in front of her. The house was a beautiful two story white building, featuring a lovely back porch that grants its occupants the luxury of gazing upon the marvelous white sands and clear blue waves crashing onto the shore.

"How fancy." Fate commented. "Must be the perks of being a high ranking officer nowadays."

"Yeah…" Nanoha murmured with less enthusiasm than Fate expected.

"What's wrong, Nanoha?" Fate asked as she looked at her friend's face. The girl had on a humorless smile.

"It's just…It all feels so surreal, you know?" Nanoha said as she looked at Fate with a hint of worry in her eyes. "Getting off of work, beach house vacation this weekend, and...you coming back." She let out a mirthless laugh before continuing. "It all feels like a dream. Like it's too good to be real, and I would be lying if I said that I wasn't scared."

Fate slowly unwrapped her arms around Nanoha's abdomen, causing the girl to turn around in confusion. "Fate-chan?" Soft fingers traveled to the auburnette's flushed cheeks. The warm and velvet feel of Fate's fingertips left a tingling sensation, sending shocks of lightning coursing across her skin. When Nanoha saw the face of her friend nearing closer towards her own, she felt her heart jump with surprise and, oddly enough, fear.

"W-wait…"

Not knowing what to expect, Nanoha closed her eyes and braced herself. Fate grinned and pinched both of Nanoha's cheeks. She could barely hold back a laugh as the girl opened her eyes and gave her a wide eyed look of confusion.

"Eh?"

Fate then began to lightly pull on Nanoha's cheeks, causing the girl to mewl in discomfort.

"Ow ow ow. Fwate-Chwan. That huwrts..."

Fate giggled and said, "Still think this is a dream?"

"Noooo!" Nanoha cried, her voice wobbling as Fate stretched and pulled her cheeks in an up and down motion. Fate released her hold and laughed when Nanoha pouted in mock anger as she rubbed her now red cheeks.

"Fate-chan, you bully…"

Fate made a mental note to bully her more in the near future. Nanoha rarely ever showed her bashful side before, even to Fate. It was a sight that she could get addicted to.

"Maybe I am a bully." Fate whispered. "Do you not like it?"

"Hmph." Nanoha crossed her arms and looked away, but did little to resist as she was engulfed by Fate's arms once again. When she failed to fight back the smile tugging at her lips, she quickly turned around and begrudgingly said, "Kinda makes me not want to forgive you."

"Don't."

Fate smiled and squeezed the girl in her arms. "Stay with me."

"Right, right…" Nanoha sighed.

"So? Do you wanna go to the beach?" Fate said with hopeful eyes.

Nanoha hummed in hesitation as she put a finger to her lip in thought. There was very little reason to turn down a free vacation, but accepting such a luxurious offer made her feel spoiled. Hayate has done so much for her, and this angered Nanoha. To accept this would enable Hayate to do more, and in doing so would create an image of weakness, and there was little things that Nanoha hated more than feeling weak.

"I don't know…"

"Please?" Fate whimpered, giving the girl the biggest and saddest puppy dog eyes she could muster. The effort and intent was well recognized by Nanoha. But damn it, was it still just as effective regardless. Nanoha could just imagine a pair of blonde dog ears on Fate's head and a wagging tail behind her as she pleaded with her. The image was so endearing that Nanoha's convictions began to waver. Only Fate could ever have that luxury. What a cheater.

"Hmm...well Vivio does have a school holiday tomorrow..." Nanoha said.

"Oh? Does she?" Fate asked.

"Teacher work day." Nanoha explained. "Summer semester is almost done, so teachers are supposed to meet up and discuss the end of their lessons. And you know that means that she's gonna want to take Einhart along."

"Then that's perfect." Fate exclaimed happily. "Please Nanoha? It'll be fun."

Nanoha sighed. "But-"

"Pleeeease?" Fate pleaded once again with the same wide puppy dog eyes. Not only that, but this time she quivered her lower lip and made a little pout. Now that was just plain unfair.

"Jeez!" Nanoha laid back and grabbed a pillow from behind and smothered her face with it, clutching at her heart as if she was having a heart attack while letting out a soft squeal.

"Fine." Nanoha said softly into her pillow.

"Really?" Fate said with an elated grin.

"Really." Nanoha lifted the pillow away from her face and offered a tired smile.

A couple of hours later, both Vivio and Einhart returned home, where an excited Fate was awaiting them in the living room with Nanoha on the couch.

"Really?!" Vivio beamed.

"Really." Fate said with equal enthusiasm.

"Than does that mean I can take Einhart-san with me?" Vivio asked.

"That depends on her now, doesn't it?"

Vivio cheered and turned around, grabbing onto Einhart's hands with her own. "Well? Can you come, Einhart-san?" She asked with wide excited eyes.

"Huh?" Einhart looked away with rose tinted cheeks. "I-I don't know. It's so sudden, and I have responsibilities at the gym."

"We can ask Nove-san for a break!" Vivio said with a subtle sense of persistency. "I'm sure she can get a replacement."

"Hmm, I don't know if Yumina would like that…"

"Pleeeease?" Vivio pleaded with familiar sad puppy eyes. Einhart absentmindedly clutched the front of her shirt where her heart was and let out a slight squeal within her throat.

"O-ok…"

"Hooray! Thank you Einhart-san!" She cheered as she hugged the Hegemon, leaving the girl red and wobbling on her feet.

"Come, I'll help you pack." Fate beckoned the little girl.

Both blondes began to walk towards the hallway leading up to Vivio's bedroom. Fate brought up the suggestion to go shopping for new swimsuits, which Vivio happily agreed to. Eventually, the voices would fade away as the two walked farther into the hallway.

The green haired girl could almost feel steam leaving her ears. Now that she was alone though, her eyes began to travel around as she began to wonder what she should do at the moment. Vivio was so careless sometimes. Leaving her to do gods knows what inside someone else's house. Her green eyes glanced over to the woman lounging on the couch, and she couldn't help but notice the serene look on the woman's face. Her shoulders are relaxed and her posture was no longer stiff. A stark contrast to what she usually saw when she was around. Nanoha noticed her staring, and oddly enough, patted the spot on the couch next to her.

Einhart walked over and sat next to Nanoha, and the two shared a collective sigh.

"They're quite a handful sometimes, aren't they?" Nanoha asked.

"That does seem to be the case more often than not." Einhart said.

Nanoha smiled whimsically and said, "But I wouldn't have it any other way."

Einhart couldn't help but let a smirk pass her lips. "Agreed." The Hegemon nodded and the two girls laughed.

"Einhart-san!" Vivio's voice travelled from across the household. "Can you come here for a second?" Both girls faced each other.

Nanoha nodded to her and said, "You should hurry. You know how impatient she can get."

"R-right." Einhart said as she got up from the couch and bowed before heading towards the hallway. She stopped midway, however, and turned around.

"Um.." She stuttered.

"Yes?" Nanoha asked.

"I just want to say...it's good to see smiling again, Takamachi-san." Einhart said politely. "I'm happy that your partner was able to come back to you. That is all."

Nanoha stared wordlessly at the girl for a second before offering her a kind smile. "Thank you, Einhart-chan." Nanoha had really grown to like Einhart over the years. The girl turned out to be respectful and mild mannered, but always carried herself with a sense of strength behind her quiet actions and words. In some odd ways, she reminded her of Fate, which always made Nanoha a little more at ease whenever she came around to visit.

Now that she was alone, Nanoha decided that she should call up the Nakajima gym. She caught something sparkling in her peripheral, however. Something was lodged within the corner of the couch. She crawled over to find a certain golden triangular device stuck between the cushions. He must've dropped from Fate's pockets while she was lying down right next to her.

"Aw, Bardiche…" Nanoha cooed as she cradled the device within her palm. "Fate-chan is so careless sometimes."

[No problem, Ma'am!] Bardiche blinked.

[It's good to see you again.] The pink orb around Nanoha's neck rang.

[You too.] Bardiche replied.

"Honestly, Fate-chan needs to be more mindful about her stuff." Nanoha huffed. "How's she gonna beat the bad guys if you are not…" Her voice wavered. "With her…?"

Nanoha stared blankly at the golden device in her hand. She suddenly felt cold and afraid as a terrifying sense of deja vu came crashing down onto her.

[Ma'am?] Bardiche blinked inquisitively.

"Huh?" Nanoha lightly shook her head. "It's nothing." She said as she raised the device until it was at eye level. "You know, Bardiche?" She started. "I just... want to thank you, for being there for Fate and keeping her safe when I'm not there. Without you…" Her voice trailed off. "I don't even want to imagine what would happen without you."

[Don't worry, Ma'am. I won't let her down.] Bardiche glowed. A beat later, it added: [I won't let you down.]

Her gaze softened as tears started to well up. She wrapped her fingers around Bardiche and brought it to her chest. "That's right. How could I forget?" She said with a shaking voice. "That you're also part of our family?" The device that she held in her hands wasn't just a mere machine. It was its own entity. An entity that cared for Fate, and Nanoha loved him dearly for that.

[Don't forget about me, Master!] Raising Heart interjected as it floated next to her cheek.

"Of course I wouldn't forget about my oldest partner!" Nanoha giggled. "Both you and Bardiche are dear to both us. That's why we'll always look after and protect one another, right?"

[Roger!]

[Yes, Master!]

* * *

Tinkering in the outside of the debris of the once majestic Stonehenge fleet was the Lost Logia ship, Esquad Hückebein. Inside the cruiser, the sound of blows being thrown and blood splattering could be heard, as well as the occasional screams of pain and fighting.

"No!"

Battered, beaten, and helpless; Curren could only cradle her broken shoulder as she witnessed her family being torn and thrown around by the white assailant. Littered around the floor of the base of the Esquad were her kindred fellows, all lying motionless and bleeding. The mage's gloved fingers impeded its cold and sharp digits into DeVille's throat and lifted him off the ship's floor with one arm. He struggled and clawed at the metal gauntlets gripping his neck, but could do nothing but dangle helplessly from the monster's hold.

The visor glowed as it glared at Curren.

A cold feeling of terror arose in her chest as Curren stared meekly at the white mage brutally throwing the body towards her direction. He landed in front of Curren with a sickening thud.

The Colorless figure donned in metal and cloth started walking slowly towards the family leader, who instinctively crawled backwards until her back made contact with the wall behind her. A heavy weight sank into the pit of her stomach, and nausea rose within the woman's throat. Bitter tears welled up, flooding her vision. The horror she felt transformed into confusion, and not unlike a cornered animal, soon turned into rage.

"Why…?"

The white figure said nothing as she sauntered closer and closer.

"Why?!" She screamed. "Don't we share the same enemy?!"

The nameless devil stayed silent, almost as if she was ignoring her words. From Curren's angle, she saw the dark shadows starting to entwine around the mage's figure, all except for her visor, which glowed a bright pink light in the shade.

"You could've had power!" Curren cried hysterically. Once she saw the masked person wipe out the TSAB fleet by her lonesome, Curren immediately came out of the shadows of space and invited the metal figure into her home. All she could think was how perfect they would be in her family. Together, they would've been unstoppable. "We welcomed you with open arms! You could've been part of our family!"

The mage then raised her mummified staff directly at the bluenette's face. Curren's breath hitched, and the clammy feeling of sheer dread flooded her mind once more as she raised her arm. "I-!" She activated her Eclipse Weapon barrier around herself, nullifying any magical attacks that would've come her way. "I will not die!"

The white mage huffed as she lowered her staff towards the floor. The panic subsided, but soon returned in full effect when she saw the figure aim her staff behind its back. The staff's tip pointed towards a normal wall. Curren's brow furrowed in confusion, but rose when she realized something. The direction of the mage staff had it's line of fire towards the reactor core that lied further in the ship. One thought led to another, and she whitened as her fate dawned on her.

The white figure tilted her head, in a moment that was akin to amusement. Pink light gathered around the tip of the bandaged staff.

"Divine-"

"N-no!" Curren screamed as she lurched forward with an outstretched hand.

"Buster."

What followed after was a blinding explosion that showered the blackness of space with light. Soaring from the flames was the Shiroi Akuma, her colorless aura trailing behind her as she flew into the distance. The glowing red orb hovering her chest glowed and chimed inquisitively.

[Where are we going, Master?]

"Mid-Childa." The mage replied.

[Alright.] The red orb chimed again.

The white mage raised her right gauntlet in front of her visor, where a golden triangular jewel was imbedded within the gloves's metallic frame.

"Set the coordinates for a Dimensional Transfer."

[Yes Ma'am!] The golden device glowed and rang. [Get set!]

Yellow light and crackling lightning danced erratically around her armor and in a flash, her body vanished from sight, leaving the black void of space a quiet resting place for the fallen soldiers and crew members that floated among the stars.

* * *

Fate was giddy with anticipation as she sat on the wooden stool, her hands gripping the hem of her black tank top underneath her green jacket and her legs swinging on the edge of her seat in her dark low cut jeans.

"Hurry Nanoha!" Fate called out to the black divider drapes of the dressing room in front of her.

"Alright!" Nanoha called out from behind the curtains. When she pulled back the black drapes, Fate could feel her breath leave her lungs as she gazed upon the slender girl in a white side tie bikini. Nanoha did a slight curtsy and leaned forward.

"H-how do I look?" Nanoha asked with a slight blush.

"Cute..." Fate said with glossy eyes, flushed cheeks, and an earnest thumbs up, trying her best to keep her eyes from the cleavage now on display.

She honestly did make an attempt, but the way Nanoha stood with her body leaning towards her was becoming too enticing. Flustered, she forcibly turned her head, "Nanoha is cute."

"Cute? That's it?"Nanoha muttered softly and sighed in growing frustration. Slouching slightly she said, "I am going to try on another one."

The next suit was light blue O-ring bikini with small triangular fabrics on the top and bottom that left little to the imagination.

"How about now, Fate-chan?" She asked with a small wink and stuck her tongue out, sending Fate's senses into a swirling turmoil.

Fate's red eyes couldn't help but scan over Nanoha's more exposed form. The smoothness of her skin which she knew would be warm and soft. The curves of her body that she knew fit so well against her own when they hugged. It was almost too much to take in.

The Ace of Aces smiled in slight amusement at the bug eyed look Fate gave her and the tomato red shade she was now turning.

Drool gathered in her mouth as she was entranced by the revealing swimwear in front of her. "Cute." Nanoha's brow ever so slightly rose at the slight squeak in Fate's voice.

Moving into Fate's line of sight, she leaned forward smiling, "Are you sure? Don't you think it's a little..." then trailed off at the heated look Fate was now giving her.

The tone Fate used now as she took in the length of Nanoha's body made Nanoha shiver, "Nanoha is cute. So very cute." Was her reply, by way of heavy breathing.

Nanoha's brow straightened and clicked her tongue in frustration.

Biting her lip, she then shook her head and said, "Hmm, I don't think this will do. Let me try on another."

She rushed back into the changing room with a huff. Fate tilted her head and wondered if she might've made her angry.

One second later, Nanoha pushed aside the black drapes once again. She pouted as she placed both hands to her hips, revealing the bland, blue one piece school-swimsuit. Fate was caught off guard for a second, as she gave her a slightly awkward smile. She caught herself, however, and said with a clear voice.

"Cute!"

"Fate-chan!" Nanoha pouted and stomped one foot onto the ground. "You're not even trying!" She cried as she balled her hands into fists at her side. "Are you even paying attention at all?"

"But I can't help it!" Fate said as she stood up. "You look cute in that because you look cute in everything!" Fate said passionately.

Nanoha blushed as she saw some of the other patrons in the store turn their attention towards her direction. "Fate, wait-"

"Nanoha is the cutest person I know!" Fate beamed a bright smile as she stretched both her arms out towards Nanoha.

Nanoha shrunk and raised her fists in front of her face, hiding from the curious gazes and whispers from the audience around them. "Fate-chan, you dummy."

"Hmm?" Fate tilted her head once again with a confused smile.

"Fate-mama!" Vivio called as she walked into view with Einhart in tow. Her hair was tied in a side ponytail, similar to how it's tied during her adult form, and she wore a modest yellow frilly two piece swimsuit, while Einhart sported a black front tie swimwear with a side knot bottom.

"What about us? Are we cute?" Vivio asked with a fancy twirl.

Fate brought her hand to her face and giggled. "Of course. All of you are the cutest."

Vivio flashed a toothy smile, hugging Einhart's arm and leaning onto the Hegemon. "But Einhart is the bestest, cutest one out of everyone!"

"Huh? But I think Vivio is cuter…" Einhart meekly stated.

"What? No way." Vivio giggled happily. Her laughter died out when she spotted Nanoha bashfully hiding half of her body behind the black dressing room divider, wearing a rather glum expression. She gave her mother a wry smile.

"W-what?" Nanoha replied apprehensively.

"Oh nothing, Nanoha-mama." Vivio replied with a slippery tone. "It's just...I never expected you to pick something so… puerile."

Nanoha recoiled her head, aghast at the statement. "Don't be ridiculous, Vivio!" She snapped as she shut the divider curtains.

Fate smiled as her daughter doubled over in laughter, apologizing to her mother over the tease. When she looked around the store, she saw that a handful of couples were locking arms with their partners and walking down the aisles, with some walking alongside the boardwalk outside. Some of them even had children alongside them, probably spending time with their family during the small school vacation.

"You seem happy." Nanoha said, knocking Fate out of her thoughts. The woman was now dressed in her simple white sundress she had on when they all came in. Over her arm was the light blue bikini she tried on not too long ago.

Fate let out a sheepish laugh as she scratched her cheek. "Sorry."

Nanoha tilted her head as she inspected Fate's body. "Fate-chan, where's your swimsuit?"

"Oh, um…" Fate quickly looked around the store, actually taking the time to check the products lined up for the first time since she came in. "I haven't picked one out yet."

"So pick one."

"But...I don't know which one to pick." Fate said as she rubbed the back of her head. "I don't know what would look good on me."

Nanoha regarded her with a blank stare. "Fate-chan, what do you think I've been doing the past half hour?"

"Well…" Fate said as she awkwardly pressed her two index fingers together. "It's just that you looked so cu-"

Nanoha narrowed her eyes, and a low growl could be heard coming from her throat.

She immediately turned away towards the entrance of the store in a desperate attempt to escape the intense glare the auburnette was giving her.

"Huh?" Just then, when Fate peered through the glass door, she saw a small crowd of young men and women gathering around a small wooden vendor cart. Most of them were likely couples judging by how some of them held hands.

A small old lady with glasses and a floral long sleeve shirt was behind the cart, with a big sign next to her that read in big bright bold blue letters, "TANABATA SALE."

"Is that...?" Fate read silently, and soon an idea formed inside her head.

"Nanoha-mama!" Fate turned around to see her daughter, also dressed back in her original clothes.

"Can we go to the beach already?" She said as she jumped up and down, swimwear in hand.

"Not yet, dear. Fate-mama still hasn't picked out her-"

"Actually, Nanoha." Fate said suddenly. "Do you think you can take both Vivio and Einhart back to the house to change?"

"Huh? But what about you, Fate-mama?" Vivio asked. "I don't mind waiting."

"It's fine, it's fine." She said with a wave of her hand. "It'll be a lot quicker if I pick it out myself. Besides, I wouldn't want to keep you and Ein-chan waiting."

Nanoha frowned and narrowed her eyes. "Fate-chan, are you sure? Here let me grab a few suits for you try on."

She reached for a dark purple two piece with metal rings where it closed in the front on the top and at sides on the bottom. Fate wrinkled her nose at the suit and seeing this, Nanoha sighed, "Well what kind of suit were you thinking of getting then?"

Eyes flashing around the store, Fate smiled awkwardly and said, "Uh, I want it to be a surprise."

The way Fate said her answer almost made it sound like a question, and frustration at the situation filled Nanoha, huffing she replied, "Fate-chan it could take you forever to pick something out alone."

Waving her hands in a calming gesture, Fate said, "I already see a couple I like but want to try on. Take the girls home to change and I promise I won't be more than a few minutes behind you."

Putting a hand on her hip, Nanoha replied, "If it won't be so long we can just wait." Of course, Fate thought to herself. Nanoha has always been stubborn. Well if that was the case, she was just going to have to be stubborn back.

"But… like I said, I want it to be a surprise. I'm sorry Nanoha, but please? It won't take long." Fate pleaded as she put her hands together.

Nanoha merely shook her head and sighed. "Alright, come on girls." The three then finally walked out of the store, leaving Fate to wander the store by herself. She felt bad that she, in a sense, pushed Nanoha away along with the kids. Was she doing the right thing? Well it was too late now. All she could hope for was that her efforts will bear at least some fruits. It's for the sake of Nanoha's happiness, after all.

She quickly came across a fancy black two piece swimwear with a yellow palm tree design on the side of the bra. She picked it up by the hanger and placed it to her chest.

"Do you think Nanoha will like this?" Fate said as she got out Bardiche from her pocket.

Bardiche's center flared and pinged.

"Good enough, I suppose."

She quickly picked it up and went to the cash register in a hurry. Now that the swimsuit was dealt with, she headed towards the wooden cart where the old lady was. The cart must've cleared up while she was shopping, as all the people around the vendor were gone. The old lady inclined her head towards Fate and said, "Welcome dear. Anything catch your fancy?"

"Just saw your cart and wanted to browse your items." Fate said as she bent forward towards the line of trinkets on the cart. Necklaces, rings, piercings and more, all with heart shaped symbols and beach themed motifs. They were certainly captivating as a whole. "I was also intrigued by your sign."

The old lady gave her a smile. "You know of the festival?"

Fate nodded. "The Evening of the Seventh. The promised day when Orihime and Hikoboshi are finally reunited after being brutally separated by the stars, if only for a brief day." A nostalgic smile graced her lips. "I learned about this when I lived on Earth."

The elder hummed. "A beautiful story, don't you think?"

"I think it's a bit too tragic, honestly" Fate said.

"There's beauty in tragedy, dear." The elder replied. "And today would be the promised day, at least back on Earth."

Fate grinned and whispered to herself. "You don't say?"

The woman nodded as she motioned towards her stock. "Got a special someone you wish to spoil on this holiday? By all means, please take a look."

Fate hummed and placed a finger to her lips, glancing over the collection of fancy looking trinkets. All of them were certainly very pretty and shiny, but Fate's excited smile began to waver when she realized that despite their fetching appearance, none of them stood out. To her…

"None of these...feel special."

The old woman raised an eyebrow.

"Oh!" Fate hesitated, placing a hand over her mouth. "Sorry! I didn't mean any offense." She apologized with a vigorous wave of her hands. "All of it is very beautiful, and cute, and pretty, an-"

The woman raised her hand, halting the blonde's sputtering. "There is nothing wrong with wanting to find the right gift for your special someone."

Abashed, Fate nodded and bowed her head.

"If finding a specific gift is what you wish for, perhaps I may be able to help. I have more items stored." The kind old lady offered. "Just tell me, dear. What kind of gift are you looking for, and for whom?"

"For...whom?" Fate stared blankly.

"Are you looking for something for a boyfriend? Or maybe you're looking for something to confess with? Perhaps a gift for your husband?"

Fate opened her mouth for a second, before hesitating and closing it. "Just a friend." She said finally.

The old woman gave her a blank stare and pulled her glasses down her nose. "'Just a friend?'"

Fate nodded, confused on whether she has stated the cold truth, or a reluctant lie.

"How close? Because one can find a new friend. One cannot find another Orihime or Hikoboshi."

Fate's cheeks started to redden as she was prodded by the old lady about the depths of her feelings. "She...she makes me very happy. Whenever I'm with her, I feel...um, whole." Fate smiled whimsically and shook her head, absentmindedly twiddling her thumbs. "She's my dearest, closest, most precious person in the world, and someone I want to spend the rest of my life with."

A knowing and seemingly satisfied grin formed on the elder woman's face. "Hmm…" She hummed as she pushed her glasses up with her middle finger. "A moment, please." She bent low, out of Fate's sight, and picked up a rather ornate looking box from a hidden compartment at the bottom of the cart. Fate thought it looked like it came from another planet.

"Come closer, dear." The woman beckoned her with her finger, and Fate couldn't help but comply as she leaned in closer. Judging by the appearance of the box itself, Fate expected something as equally as extravagant. But what hid underneath wasn't a fist sized diamond, or a solid bar of gold. What laid underneath were a matching pair of small, delicate looking seashells with braided silver chains attached to each of them, one neatly on top of another, perfectly synced together. Though the shells were simplistic in nature, Fate couldn't help but be mesmerized by their natural colorful swirling pink and yellow design in the centers of the shells.

"Did you know?" The elder started. "That every double sided shell has only one perfect pair that fits with each other in the entire ocean?" The old woman took off her glasses, deciding to look upon the shell necklaces with her own eyes. "At least that's how the legend goes. Sure, there are some shells that would look like they fit perfectly at first glance if one searches for one hard enough. They could have the same natural variations of stripes and colors, but when you look at them closely, there's bound to be some small minute variations. Maybe it could be a curve that's not as smooth as the other in a specific corner, for example."

Fate gazed at the woman with an intense focus, drinking in the elder's words with sharp concentration, almost as if the words spoken were gospels to her ears.

"But only one specific pair of shell would match the other." The elder then gave Fate a sideways glance. "Of all the shells throughout the ocean, there is one, and only one, that will perfectly fit the grooves of its mate, and only together could they truly be 'whole.'"

Enraptured, Fate nodded in understanding.

"Those shells are one such pairing." The old lady inquired. "Have you found your other half?"

"I have." Fate said with resolution.

In reply to the blonde's answer, the old vendor pushed the ornate box forward. Tepid fingers hovered over the clamshells, before Fate finally grasped the necklaces into her palm. Her red eyes lingered on the two matching shells. Her fingers ran across their smooth surface, taking in the cool temperature against her warm skin. She closed her eyes and curled her fingers around the shells, bringing them close to her chest.

"I would like these."

"Of course." The elder nodded.

Her hand slipped into her back pocket, taking out a green TSAB licensed card.

Her attention was brought back to the old lady when she heard her clear her throat, who pointed towards a small sign at the corner of the cart that read in small uncolored letters, TSAB Credits not accepted.

Fate gaped at the sign before giving the woman an incredulous look. "You don't accept Bureau currency?"

"And what value is there in mere pieces of paper?" The old lady laughed. "I have no interest in those."

"T-then what do you accept?" Fate asked, now clinging to the shells to her chest.

"I accept Silver Dollars from the Kingdom of Corona, but I'll also take Old Belkan gold and Orusean Platinum dollars."

Fate could feel her heart sink into her stomach upon realization that she did not possess any of these forms of tender. She took another gander at the items lined up on the cart and realized there were no empty spaces. Judging by how old and decrepit the cart itself was, Fate began to wonder if the old lady acquired any money from her "business" at all. Beads of tears formed in her eyes as she regarded the shells in her hands with a frown.

"Keep it."

"Huh?" Fate tore her eyes away and shot the lady a look of disbelief. "But…"

"I've had those shells for so long now, I'm probably never gonna get another chance to get rid of them." The old lady explained with a kind and elderly smile. "It's fine, dear. I have plenty more items to sell."

Fate could feel a gnawing sense of guilt eating away at her. She bit her lip lightly before saying, "At least let me treat you to some food."

"I'm no street vagabond." The elder said, slightly annoyed at the offer. "Learn to accept others generosity, you'll benefit more in your future. For example..." She got out an old antique pocket watch from her pocket. "Don't you have somewhere important you should be hurrying to?"

Fate's eyes slowly widened when she remembered the promise she made to Nanoha. She bowed low and once again expressed her gratitude. She began to sprint towards the direction of her beach house, but not before turning around and waving her hands. "Thank you ma'am! I'll make it up to you somehow!"

The old lady replied in kind with her own wave. "Oh I'm sure you will."

* * *

Fate couldn't help but hum a merry tune as she practically skipped across the boardwalk, while cradling the pair of shells in her hand. She giggled with a sense of giddiness, imagining Nanoha's reaction to the gift she got for her. She began to wonder if Nanoha remembered it was Tanabata today. Her cheeks reddened once again, and she lightly squealed. In her revelry, however, she failed to acknowledge her surroundings. As such, she eventually bumped into someone in her distracted haze.

"Oof!" Fate recoiled back a couple steps upon impact, accidentally dropping one of the shell necklaces from her fingers. "Sorry!" She exclaimed as she noticed the person she bumped into. The stranger looked to be of female stature, wearing a white buttoned up coat with a pair of black jeans that ran all the way down to her dark boots. "I should have been looking where I was going." Fate said , desperately trying to look into the stranger's eyes to convey her sincerity. However, the person wore a dark navy blue baseball cap, with it's visor tilted low enough to hide part of her face. Crimson hair tied in a ponytail flew dramatically alongside the wind behind her hat. The stranger regarded Fate through a pair of black sunglasses, hiding even more of her features. Needless to say, she was starting to feel a little uneasy.

Fate averted her gaze. "Please forgive me." She bowed low, but could only grow more and more uncomfortable as the woman merely stood in front of her, motionless and wordless. She felt like a child about to be scolded. As she glanced back up, she saw the woman's face completely hidden behind the visor of her cap, her head pointed down towards the ground. With widened eyes, she stared at the shell necklace she dropped earlier lying beside the person's boots.

"Uh-"

Fate was suddenly caught off guard when she saw the stranger bending down, and slowly picking up the shell necklace with a surprising amount of care. When she stood back up, the stranger merely inspected at the shell for a couple of long seconds, though Fate wasn't completely sure, as the visor hid the entirety of the girl's face. The mysterious tall figure then started to walk forward, stepping closer to Fate until she was right in front of her. Before she could get a chance to take a step back, the woman slowly and casually reached out and grabbed Fate's free hand. Fate could only stare in confusion as the woman delicately placed the shell back into the center of her palm, before closing her fingers around the shell with her own hands.

"Um..thank yo-" As she was about to express her gratitude, the mysterious woman suddenly walked past her without saying a single word, placing her hands into her coat pockets.

Standing in place dumbfounded, Fate merely muttered a faint "Thank you", before continuing on towards her house.

After turning a corner of a building and quickly slinking into the shadows, the coated girl pressed her back against concrete. Peeking her head out of the corner, she stared at the retreating blonde figure running towards her beach house, watching her go until she saw her head into the door.

Once the blonde was out of sight, the red haired girl reached into her coat underneath her collar, pulling out a particular necklace. Hanging from the silver braided chain was a small, singular seashell necklace with a painfully familiar pink and yellow color design at the center that elicited a wave of different emotions. She held it within her palm, staring at the trinket with a cold emotionless face, her gaze hidden behind her sunglasses. A full minute passed, and she still remained motionless. A pink light underneath her jacket glowed.

[Master?]

The woman curled her fingers into a fist, placing the seashell necklace back underneath her jacket. "It's nothing." She said with a cold mechanical tone before reaching into her coat pocket and pulling out a golden triangular device.

She brought her hand close to her face, bringing the device to her forehead. The golden device glowed and rang in response.

She nodded. No words were spoken, but a sense of understanding was recognized by both the device and the girl. "We're going."

[Yes, ma'am!]

[Yes, Master!]

Now stepping out of the sunlight, the girl started to head towards the direction of her destination. It wasn't long before she finally reached it; a single old wooden cart filled with trinkets. But the owner of the cart was nowhere to be found. She stomped her foot into the wooden board underneath her boots, which groaned and splintered underneath the force.

She clicked her tongue in frustration. "Damn witch…"

* * *

Nanoha sighed as she leaned against the railing of the balcony, staring into the horizon where the last vestiges of the sun hung in the air before setting down for the night. Her hazy eyes lingered towards the sky beyond the distance, noticing the different arrays of pink and orange above the yellow clouds. All she could hear right then and there were the occasional cries of seagulls and the light waves crashing onto rocks and sand. She breathed in the cool salty sea air, letting it gather into her chest before releasing it all out alongside all the stress in her body.

In the end, Nanoha was more than satisfied. The drive from the city to the beach wasn't long at all, and they even had enough time to shop for new suits. Throughout the evening, she and her family enjoyed the beach without any inconveniences. The waves were warm and inviting, the sands were white and clean, and the sun was high and bright enough to make the sand glow like gold. It's been so long since she went to the beach, by the time she took her first steps onto the sandy shores and letting the smell of saltwater traveling up her nose, it almost felt new to her again. The bright and relaxing tranquility felt almost alien to her after all this time. They played and swam in the water, letting the waves flow and carry their bodies without a care in the world. Later on, they headed up out of the water and played a couple of beach sports, ranging from throwing frisbee's to setting up a net and playing Volleyball. To equal the playing field, as to not let the adults side against the smaller children, Nanoha was paired up with Vivio, while Fate was paired with Einhart. After a set of fifteen games, Fate and Einhart managed to win with a close score of eight. Vivio, bless her soul, wanted to do another set, but Nanoha felt rather winded and tired after the games. So afterwards, the two younger girls settled down and proceeded to build sand castles and bury each other in sand, while Nanoha and Fate relaxed and lounged underneath an umbrella, gazing up at the infinite blue sky together.

All in all, she could not have asked for more at the end. Perhaps Hayate was right this time. Perhaps this was what she needed. She'll need to come up with a way to pay her back, though.

Nanoha sighed once again while gazing at the setting sun.

"Beautiful." Nanoha heard a voice behind her say.

She turned around and spotted Fate leaning against the doorway and smirking at her general direction with a grin that elicited a fuzzy feeling within her chest.

"The sunset is beautiful, isn't it?" Nanoha returned the smile with her own.

Fate merely shook her head and walked up next to her. "Not quite what I meant."

Nanoha raised a brow. "You've been so vague ever since you came back." She said as she giggled into her hand.

"Really?" Fate winked and stepped closer until she was right behind her. "I haven't noticed." Fate then wrapped her arms around her waist. Nanoha could feel the fuzzy feeling growing stronger as she felt the blonde embrace her from behind.

"You've gotten thinner." Fate whispered into her ear.

Nanoha turned around in her arms, facing the blonde. She noticed the slightly melancholic expression on her face. "So have you." Nanoha said as she cupped the girl's cheek with one hand.

"Well, there wasn't much time to eat when everyone around me wanted me dead." Fate joked. "The food was also terrible."

"So reckless." Nanoha shook her head and leaned her body against the taller blonde, laying her head against her chest. "It's weird."

"What is?" Fate asked.

"Fate-chan is super cool and calm right now, after being gone for more than a year of fighting, while I've been a mess at home." A false chuckle escaped her throat. "I feel like it's supposed to be reversed." She then looked up at the burgundy eyes and asked, "Does that make me selfish?"

Fate shook her head. "You were fighting your own battles. I've made you worried." She then frowned. "I've caused you a lot of pain, didn't I?"

"Is that all you were worried about when you were up there?" Nanoha giggled. "Stupid, you could've been killed." She allowed herself to relax against the blond's hold on her.

"I'm sorry," Fate beamed brightly, "and thank you."

Nanoha felt herself being pushed back a little, creating some space between the two.

"I got something for you." Fate said as she looked at her. She extended one hand out to the side and a golden glow radiated above her palm. Nanoha watched in awe as two necklaces fell from the orb of light and into the center of Fate's hand.

"Seashells?"

Fate nodded as she placed one necklace around her neck. "Legend says that for every bivalve shell that exists, there can only be one singular pair of shells that perfectly matches it." She explained as she raised the other necklace over Nanoha's head. "One cannot be complete without the other, original mate. Always searching for each other throughout their life, only when they are together can they truly be happy." She then lowered the seashell necklace around Nanoha's neck, who could only stare in wonderment at the girl in front of her. "Maybe this could be applied to people as well, so I wanted to give you this for today."

"Today?" Nanoha asked. The red orb around her neck than flew to face level, and projected a holographic calendar for her master to see. "July 7th…"

Right then and there, the sun fully descended, ushering forth a star filled night sky. The only source of illumination was the pink glow of Raising Heart and the bright constellation in the heavens looming above them.

Heat erupted around Nanoha's face as she found herself struggling to find her breath the more she stared into the red burgundy eyes. Conflict raged within her. Two powerful emotions clashing against one another in a swirling tornado. One emotion she felt at that moment was one she was painfully familiar with. Fear. She couldn't confidently name the other one however, but whatever it was, it made her smile through the fear.

"Kai-awase." Nanoha said.

"Huh?"

"Kai-awase is the name of the shell matching game. It's a game old people play back in Japan." She explained. "But it's so out of style lately, even I know very little about it."

"EH? Um…" Fate stuttered. "So that's where it came from? No wonder the old lady knew about it." She scratched her cheek in evident embarrassment. "It sounded more like a legend when she told me abou-"

Nanoha crashed into her chest once more, ceasing the girl's ramblings.

"You're amazing, you know that?" Nanoha whispered. "I love it. Thank you."

Fate blinked and smiled as she wrapped her arms around the shorter girl. "I'm glad."

The two stood on the balcony porch for several minutes, embracing each other tightly as they basked in the sounds of the crashing waves behind them.

"Hey." Nanoha said as she looked up at Fate. "You remember what we used to do when we were little?"

"What do you mean?" Fate tilted her head.

Nanoha pointed a finger upwards towards the sky in response. Fate's gaze trailed upwards before landing back to the girl in a questioning look.

"But TSAB regulations-"

"Forget the regulations." Nanoha whispered. "Let's do it. For old time's sake."

All hesitation was immediately washed away by the slight husky tone of the auburnette. Fate swallowed and nodded.

Clasping at their respective devices, the two mages closed their eyes and concentrated.

"Set Up!"

A swirling torrent of pink and yellow light eclipsed the entire porch of the house, it's radiance showering the beach and the nearby houses with a dazzling magic firework show. From the swirling vortex shot two glowing comets; one that radiated a pink aura, and one in a lightning yellow stream. Both comets swerved around the air, dancing around the stars, turning at impossible angles in a vivid show of maneuverability and synchrony. Before anyone could notice them, the two comets of light shot upwards at mach speeds until they were past the clouds.

Now out of sight, Fate laid above a puff of cloud with her hands behind her head, dressed in her black enforcer barrier jacket. Her white cape flowed in the wind alongside her long blonde hair. Laying on top of her was the Ace of Aces, garbed in her distinctive white and blue barrier jacket. Her head rested against the blonde's chest as a pillow as she happily toyed with the seashell necklace within her fingers. The auburn side ponytail danced alongside the long blonde flowing hair in the air.

"This takes me back." Fate said as she closed her eyes.

"Reminds me of when we were kids." Nanoha replied as she positioned her head upwards so that she could clearly see the heavenly body of stars and clusters. "Those were simpler times."

Fate hummed lazily. "A bit. We didn't have to raise a child then."

Nanoha laughed. "Did you ever think we would end up like this?"

"Probably not Vivio, although she was a happy surprise. But there is one thing that I hoped would happen that came true."

"Which is?" Nanoha inquired.

"You're still with me."

Her words were straightforward and simple, yet that did not stop them from tugging at the auburnette's heart. Trembling, breathless, and weak. These were the exact feelings Nanoha felt at the moment. She grew to resent those feelings growing up. Despite this; through her fear, through the butterflies fluttering in a mad rampage in her stomach, and through the fading strength in her body, Nanoha couldn't help but beam brightly.

"Fate-chan…" Nanoha whispered as she blinked away the tears forming in her eyes.

When she opened them though, she felt her body freeze. Above the both of them, a singular stray puff of cloud loomed over them. In the misty haze, Nanoha saw a dark shadow lurking within the condensed mass of water vapor. But the one thing that sent her over the edge; the one thing that made her brain become paralyzed in stasis was the pink light hovering near the shadow's head, between the two horns protruding upwards. She has seen that light before in her nightmares. The bright pink V that stared into her soul; judging her with a hate-filled glare that washed her senses in a sheet of ice cold terror.

"Who…" She whimpered at the retreating shadowy form. "Who are you?!"

"N-Nanoha?!" Fate gasped as she felt the woman in her arms struggle and thrash.

"Don't you...!" Nanoha seethed at the horned shadow within the cloud. "Don't you dare look at me with those eyes!"

"What's wrong?!" Fate screamed as she tried to regain her hold.

"Look!" Nanoha looked behind her, staring into the confused and worried eyes of her friend. "Can't you see?! Right ther-" When she returned her attention to the aforementioned figure, she found nothing but the single white cloud levitating above her, with the shadow nowhere in sight.

"I don't see anything..." Fate said with a shaking voice.

"You…" Nanoha's eyes grew wide and feral. Her iris shrank as fear and madness took over her senses. "Don't you run from me!" She cried out as she broke free from Fate's arms, shooting towards the cloud at breakneck speed. When she passed it however, she looked around the sky, and found no one but herself and Fate.

"Show yourself!"

Panting vigorously, Nanoha scouted her entire surrounding. She soon found the slightest movement of the clouds and the faintest twinkle of the stars kicking her senses into overdrive from the adrenaline induced paranoia.

"Na-" She then felt a hand lightly grabbing her shoulder. Nanoha screamed and backed away. Pink feathery light flashed within her fingers, and in a split second, Nanoha pointed Raising Heart towards the demon that dared to have sneaked up behind her.

Her eyes widened in sorrow. What she found in front of her staff was not the nightmare incarnate haunting her dreams, but the sad and heartbroken expression of the person she held most dear.

"Nanoha…" Fate whispered with a worried and hurt expression.

Tears leaked from Nanoha's panic-stricken eyes as she shakily let the arm holding Raising Heart fall to her side.

"I'm sorry." Nanoha cried, her body becoming limp and lifeless. "I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry..." She repeated again and again, bringing both her fists to her face. "I'm sorry, Fate-chan. I'm sorry…"

Fate immediately rushed over to her location, and wrapped her arms around the slender delicate woman, stroking the back of her head with one hand, and holding her body close to her's with the other.

"Nanoha…" She spoke softly into the girl's ears. She didn't respond, instead muttering and repeating apologies in a trance like state. "What in the world...was that?"

* * *

 _A/N: Hey guys. Hope you had a happy new years. I'm so sorry this chapter took so long. I've been busy with classes and exams. I'll try to work my schedule around them, so as to update more frequently. I really do appreciate it if you all managed to stick by until now. I promise I will do my best to try to weave together an interesting narrative if you guys don't give up on me. As always, leaving a review helps out alot. Sadly, looking back on this chapter, I realize that I might need to fine tune my writing a bit, as it seems to lack a certain voice. I'll try to focus more on showing and less on telling. Let me know if you see anything wrong or out of place._

 _Again, I would like to thank Phoenixnext for being such a wonderful beta-reader. What a cool gal._

 _she's helped me so much with this chapter. Without her, I don't think I would've ever got this story out. Go check her out if you're a fan of NanoFate._

 _I'll try to focus on my other story, Hero of Justice after this, but I will still dedicate some time to work on Judgement whenever I can/feel like it._

 _Until next time, guys. This is Pen, signing off._


	4. Skies Unknown

**Skies Unknown**

Darkness swirled behind her eyelids. She groaned as she felt the black dizziness ebb away from her mind, forcing consciousness back into her body. Annoyed by the near static-like buzzing in her head that just wouldn't go away, she forced her eyelids open. Oddly enough, she was back in her house, lying on the floor, with the familiar hallway of her abode stretched out in front of her. It appeared to be nighttime, as the windows offered no source of light coming from the outside. The only source of light illuminating the dim and dark hallway came from the small lamp on the counter at the end of the hallway. Hardly enough to see where to go, but just enough to perceive a general direction and not run her face into a wall accidently.

"Vivio?" Nanoha called out. Slowly getting up from the ground, she traced her hand alongside the wall to keep her balance as she plodded through the dark hallway. "I told you to turn off the lights when you're not using them."

No response. Not from anywhere in the house. The only thing she heard were the odd creaks of the walls and floor and the light pattering of rain outside.

"Where is everyone?"

As she walked forward her hand lightly knocked over a picture hanging on the wall. Hearing a loud crash suddenly from the darkness, Nanoha yelped and jumped. From the little light offered around her, she saw the photo of herself with Vivio happily being held in her arms, and Fate holding her from behind, linking her own arms around her waist. She bent over and picked up the broken picture, and immediately her blood went ice cold. All the defining details on Fate's face were all gone; the eyes, nose, and mouth, all eerily non present.

Suddenly, a loud wail echoed throughout the hallway. It was a child's cry, long and haunting to her ears.

"Vivio?!"

The pitter patter of the rain and the incessant creaking suddenly went silent as the long wails grew louder, echoing into her eardrums almost like it was static. She started to run across the hallway, but found that it ran on for far longer than what she was used to.

"Honey?! What's wrong?!"

When she finally reached the end of the hall, the crying suddenly ceased. She turned the corner and squealed in fright at the sight in front of her. A person standing underneath a singular chandelier - a woman with long blonde hair donned in the brown TSAB uniform.

Nanoha placed a hand to her chest and released a deep sigh of relief.

"Fate-chan, you scared me."

No response. Her face was hidden in the shadows from the chandelier hanging atop her head. Her slouched posture was as still as a statue, almost unnaturally so, as Nanoha began to grow anxious. Nanoha swallowed the saliva built up in her mouth.

"W-What's wrong, Fate?"

Stepping forward, she stretched her arm outward, almost desperately wanting to feel the warmth of the blonde's cheek.

A loud peal thunder crackled outside, and all the lights in the house suddenly went out, including the chandelier. There was a second of darkness, which caused her heart to go into stasis, until the power eventually turned back on. When it did, Fate was gone. Instead, what she found in her place was a golden triangular device on the ground.

A few slow and trepid steps later, Nanoha lowered herself and inspected the blinking device.

"Bardiche?"

The device's light blinked on and off, probably due to some glitch in its system. That wasn't good. She picked it up and began to inspect it; turning it around and checking every corner.

Suddenly, the blinking stopped, and an audio recording began to play. The sound quality wasn't great. In fact, the words were laced with static and unwanted feedback. Even so, they were clear enough for her, etching into her mind and memory each syllable at a time. It was a male voice, one overbearing with fake sentimentality that she could only guess belonged to a TSAB Officer.

"We are gathered here today… to pay tribute to the life of one of our administration's bravest and greatest warrior, and to honour the sacrifice she gave for us."

Her breath hitched in her throat, feeling as though an invisible hand was gripping her neck. She'd never heard those words before, yet somehow they brought forth a sense of familiarity and melancholy, which frightened her immensely.

"To many people across the worlds, she was an inspiration and a source of valor and courage. A true Hero of the Time Space Administration Bureau, and to others...a beloved friend, and mother. She will be sorely missed by us all."

Despite the loftiness of his words, his voice held a tone of disingenuity, with no feeling or emotion behind it, and it disgusted her to no end. Gnashing her teeth together to quell the rising anger, she whispered "Stop this…"

"But we will continue to live on in her faith, and carry her memories with us, so as to not let her noble sacrifice be in vain."

She was growing increasingly tired of the man's voice.

"Please stop this, Bardiche..."

But the recording continued.

"It's what she would've wanted."

"Stop!"

In her anger, she threw the triangular device across the hallway she came from. The darkness consumed the device, blinking it out of existence.

"How could you possibly know that?!" Her iris shrank as she sneered at the shadows. "How can anyone know that?!"

No reply. Her breathing grew erratic, the rise and fall of her chest becoming more ragged. The intense quiet eventually calmed her down, and she came to regret her decision. Bardiche was still very much part of her family, after all. Just as she was about to venture back into the dark to retrieve him, a sudden familiar cry rang across the house again.

 _"MAMA!"_

"Vivio!"

She quickly turned around and proceeded down the corner. Not even bothering to check her surroundings due to the darkness around her, she nearly ran into the door in front of her at the end of the hallway. She grabbed onto the knob, firmly twisting it and pulled, releasing a loud creaking from the hinges. She stepped through the opening, only to find herself in the same corridor as before, with the same pictures decorating the walls and the same dim lamp on the same counter at the end of the aisle.

"What the?"

The door behind her abruptly shut, creating a loud bang that echoed through the hall.

 **"Takamachi Nanoha"**

A deep and sharp disembodied whisper rang next to her ear, sending electric shivers down her spine.

She took a deep breath and began walking towards the lamp once again. Her eyes flickered over the pictures on the walls, all of which were photos of people close to her throughout her time in service. Some were of Hayate, smiling that occasional good natured, if not goofy grin of hers.

 _"Nanoha!"_

Some were of the knights, gathering around their master, and some photos even had them together with her. One photo showed Signum standing beside her with her hand on her shoulder, smiling contently. Another showed herself teasing Vita by roughly petting her head, much to the small redhead's chagrin.

 _"Takamachi-san..."_

 _"Don't leave!"_

"I'm sorry. But I can't stop now."

Photos of Vivio then passed by her, all of which showed her as a teenager, and somehow Nanoha knew that it was really her, grown up and not her Sankt Kaiser form, the older Vivio adopting her own side ponytail in place of her twin tails she had when she was little. Blue eyes hidden underneath the shadows of her bangs flickered over to one particular picture of an undoubtedly more mature Vivio, standing next to her and wrapping an arm around her shoulders while her other hand flashed a V sign towards the camera.

 _"Mama? Where are you going?"_

"Forgive me sweetie, but there's something I have to do."

She then passed by a picture of a bespectacled Yuuno, standing next to her with his arm placed on her shoulder. The two of them were smiling at the camera.

 _"N-Nanoha..."_ a voice gasped out, labored and laced in pain.

"Enough." She shook her head. "Just stop. Leave me alone."

The next row of pictures were of a grinning Subaru tackling and groping a surprised Teana from behind. In the background of the photo was herself standing back and laughing at the two.

 _"Subaru, dont!"_

 _"I'll kill her! I'll make her pay for what she's done!"_

Nanoha couldn't help but huff softly under her breath. Anger and pride started to flare up inside her as she heard the vengeful whispers of her student. "You?" She sneered. "Judge me?"

Her steps turned into longer strides, covering more new ground. Despite this however, the end of the hall was no nearer to her than when she began, almost as if she was walking against a moving walkway. The amount of distance might not have changed, but the pictures did. The happy photos of her friends and family were now gone, replaced with them either crying or glaring at her furiously.

The environment around her morphed. The hallway scenery slowly hazed away into shadowy mists. Behind the mists were tiny white stars that dotted her peripherals, and more images flashed by.

Planets razed, battalions burned, and cities crumbled before her. The voices of her friends were soon joined in with the screams of thousands.

 _"I-It's the Devil! The White Devil!"_

 _"Monster!"_

 _"God, please spare me! Save my family!"_

Nanoha kept her vision forward, away from the voices, away from the phantoms and images, choosing to focus on the light at the end of the tunnel. She was so close. So close to the light. So close to finding out what awaited her.

 **"Do you take life? Or do you preserve it?"** The same deep and sharp voice hissed into her ears once more.

 **"Will you allow the chains of fate to bind you? To define you? Or will you break those chains and embrace the freedom that you so clearly deserve?"**

The intense light was now just a few short steps away. Her left hand stretched outwards, reaching for the light and the answers she longed for.

 **"Justice? Or Vengeance?"**

So close now.

 **"Savior? Or Destroyer?"**

Almost there...

 **"Hero? Or Villain?"**

Soon, all her questions would be answered. Her fingers were mere centimeters away.

 **"To whose side of the scales of judgement are you on?"**

Just as she was about to reach her goal-

 **"In the end, you are neither."**

The light abruptly vanished out of thin air, engulfing her world in total darkness.

 **"In the end, you are _nothing!_ Just a broken shell of a woman. A child."**

A subtle mechanical blaring noise echoed across the darkness. A dim but very noticeable pink light started to take shape right in front of her, glowing brighter and brighter into a thin line right before her very eyes.

In that light, the same one she so desperately sought in the beginning, she saw the complete perversion of everything she stood for. In that light, she saw nothing but the utter mockery of her entire existence, and the greatest and unholiest blasphemy to her name.

Terror gripped her mind and heart, and in her panic she let out a scream.

* * *

Dull blue eyes gazed upon the lime green walls of the beach house master bedroom. It took a couple of long seconds before light finally returned back to them, revealing the confusion swimming in the blue orbs.

Nanoha's vision shifted in place. She was awake, back at the beach house. She was sitting upright on her bed. Oddest of all that, she found her head unable to move and her upper torso stuck in place. Her mind took it's time to register what was happening, and it was only when she saw the golden strands lining the the side of her peripheral did she finally realize that someone was holding onto her. Tightly, she might add.

"Fate-chan?" A hoarse whisper left her throat.

The shoulder her chin was resting on slowly moved away, and the arms constricting her upper body unwrapped themselves.

"Nanoha…"

Nanoha noticed the anxiety present in the blonde's red eyes, and how her body seemed to have been shaking. She looked as if she was about to cry.

Nanoha attempted to clear her throat, but cringed when she felt the sting afterwards. With her left hand caressing her neck, she asked, "What happened?"

Fate tenderly ran her thumb across Nanoha's cheeks, wiping away a thin line of liquid. "You suddenly passed out in the sky, and then suddenly you woke up screaming." She said as she traced circles around the girl's wrist. "I was so scared."

Nanoha winced when she heard the worry present in her friend's voice. Judging from the chair next to her bed, Nanoha concluded that she probably stayed by her side throughout the night. She probably didn't even sleep a wink. Her eyes shifted to the clock on the nightstand.

4:45 AM.

She jumped on her mattress when she heard the door to her bedroom being slammed open.

"Is everything alright?!"

Nanoha calmed the beating of her heart when she saw who had entered. "Shamal? What are you doing here?"

"Fate-chan called Hayate when you passed out. So naturally, she ordered me to come over as soon as possible."

"Which meant that she must've been sleeping downstairs on the couch." Nanoha thought. "I'm sorry for the trouble."

"Will you stop apologizing?" Shamal sighed as she took a seat on the chair next to the bed. "You do that everytime we meet."

Fate flashed Nanoha another worried look, which only made her grimace harder.

"I'm sorry…"

A groan escaped the doctor's throat, and she shook her head.

"Mama? Are you alright?"

Nanoha turned her head towards the open door. Her daughter stood in front of the doorway, wearing a white tank top with pink pajama shorts. Next to her was Einhart, who merely wore a rather oversized green T-shirt. Both of them looked at her with matching expressions of concern.

"It's fine, girls. Just a scary dream." Nanoha said. "You can go back to bed."

Both girls looked at each other momentarily before turning their attention and decision to the doctor's judgement.

A single nod was all it took for the young girls to leave. It slightly frustrated Nanoha, knowing that her girls trusted the doctor's words over her's.

"Well then." Shamal started, sitting down on the chair next to the bed. "Tell me what happened. Fate said you fell unconscious, right?"

Nanoha's gaze shifted downwards, trying to find the adequate words for the doctor, but found them fleeting. Everything was a haze within her head. Her memories a blur. However, Fate instead chose to be her voice.

"Yes, that's right."

"When?"

"Around 7:40 in the evening."

"So roughly around nine hours ago…" Shamal mumbled as she scribbled something onto her clipboard. "Where did this happen?"

At this, both Fate and Nanoha eyed each other simultaneously.

"Outside." Fate said.

"Ok, I mean outside, where?"

A second of silence passed, and the doctor raised a brow at the two girl's shifting eyes.

"We were, um...up in the sky." Fate murmured.

Shamal's eyes slowly widened upon further realization.

"Magic?"

Both Fate and Nanoha looked at the ground in shame. Shaking her head, Shamal pinched the bridge of her nose and said, "You know unregulated flight is prohibited!"

"It wasn't Fate's fault, Shamal." Nanoha spoke up. "It was my idea in the first pla-"

"I don't care whose idea it was, Nanoha!"

Nanoha's gaze returned downwards, finding the patterns on the bed blankets more preferable to focus on. Oh how she loathed the feeling of being scolded at like a child.

Shamal glanced towards the bedroom balcony window, where she could see the neighboring beach houses lined outside.

"Did anyone else see you?"

At the question, Nanoha motioned towards the red orb hanging from her neck.

"Raising Heart?"

 _[No external ocular stimuli was detected during the time, Master]_

"Well that's good." Shamal breathed out a sigh of relief. "But try to restrain yourselves. You were lucky this time. Next time might not be the case."

"Yes…" Both womens replied with their heads dropped low.

"Good." Shamal moved in and leaned close towards Nanoha, taking out an ophthalmoscope out of her white coat pocket. Nanoha's brow slightly rose, confused at what the blonde doctor was doing, but did nothing to protest as Shamal flashed the instrument in front of her eyes.

Fate on the other hand couldn't help but ask what was she doing.

"Um Shamal? Is something wrong with her eyes?" Fate asked with a tinge of worry echoing in her voice.

"Just making sure there's nothing wrong with her linker core…" Shamal said as she gazed deep into Nanoha's eyes, looking past the pupils and inspecting something that hid deeper beneath the blue pools. Her other hand took out another instrument that looked an awful lot like a stethoscope bell, and placed it against the center of Nanoha's chest, right where her linker core rested.

"Nanoha, can you let out a pulse of mana from your linker core for me?" Shamal asked, her eyes still looking into Nanoha's as she switched the instrument towards the other eye.

"Is this really necessary, Shamal?"

"Your linker core is still another organ and therefore can affect other parts of your body if linked to stress. I just want to make sure everything is as it should be."

Nanoha sighed. "Alright…" She closed her eyes. A second later, pink wisps of mana danced around the outline of her body. The intensity of the aura was bright and strong, which was typical for a mage of Nanoha's calibre. Fate sat by and watched her friend radiating with a fierce incandescence. She could feel Nanoha's mana essence washing over her body. The sensation was, oddly, very soothing to her. Shamal watched with surgical focus, before releasing a sigh and leaning back into her chair. "Alright, everything seems to be in proper order."

With that done, Nanoha re-opened her eyes, and the pink light that surrounded her body slowly faded away.

"Ok." Shamal closed her eyes. "Now Nanoha, can you recall the last thing you remembered before you passed out?"

Narrowing her eyes, Nanoha could only reply by shaking her head. "No, I can't. Everything's still a blur for some reason. I can't remembe-"

Her speech halted, and her pupils dilated. A flash of lightning blazed across Nanoha's mind, causing an intense wave of pain throughout her skull.

"Nanoha?"

Nanoha grabbed her head with both hands and slumped forward on her bed. Like a veil being lifted, fuzzy and almost static like images started to flood her mind. A white shadow in the mist. A light in the darkness.

"I remember…"

"What? What do you remember?" Shamal asked.

Nanoha turned to Fate. "Fate-chan, you saw h-" She hesitated for a moment, upon seeing the sad yet earnest eyes staring back at her with worry. "You saw her too, didn't you?"

Fate could only shake her head, but made sure to maintain eye contact with her. "I didn't see anyone else up there."

Nanoha looked back to Shamal, then back to Fate. A nervous chuckle escaped her. "But I saw…" Her smile waned as she brought a hand over her eyes. "I saw her-...it.. staring at me."

"What?" Shamal prodded again. "What did you see?"

"The demon in my nightmares." Nanoha whispered softly, her left eye visible and wide as dinner plates. "She was up there, I know she was…" Nanoha then jerked her head back to Fate. "But...you didn't see anything?!"

Fate frowned, her gaze sad and apologetic.

"You don't believe me…" Nanoha stared at her hands that fell to her lap with wide and dazed eyes. "I'm not crazy."

Shamal and Fate exchanged worried looks.

 _"Shamal, what is going on?!"_

Shamal winced upon the loud and sudden voice ringing in her head.

 _"Nanoha-chan has been having several recurring nightmares while you were gone, and told me that a specific person was haunting her, but she was never able to recall its appearance before. Although, it seems now she had managed to retain some physical imagery tonight."_

"Am I crazy?" Nanoha whispered to herself, before closing her eyes and shaking her head. "No! But if Fate-chan didn't see her… then maybe.."

Shamal saw Fate's pleading eyes on her before returning her attention back to Nanoha.

"Nanoha, you have been taking the medicine I prescribed you, right?"

Nanoha's fingers balled; tightly scrunching up a part of her blanket. "Yes."

"Every night, right?"

"Yes!"

"Because what you saw could likely be due to stre-"

"Yes Shamal!" Nanoha cried, her voice angry and sharp. "I have! What, you don't believe this either?!"

Shamal leaned back in her seat at the sudden outburst, her eyes wide and startled.

Nanoha gasped at her sudden outburst, and clamped her mouth shut with both hands. "I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me." Nanoha whispered, her voice returning to it's softer, natural tone.

Shamal shook her head and averted her eyes towards the corner of the bedroom. She held her chin in thought, before asking, "What did it, uh, she look like?"

At the question, Nanoha's shoulders started to involuntarily shake. The mere exercise of forcing her mind to remember was already unpleasant. For a while, through almost an unconscious desire, she couldn't recall anything but the grotesque feeling of her blood running cold and the sensation of warm ichor oozing across her brain. She finally managed to recall three characteristics as she attempted to keep the bile down within her throat.

"White...horns...and a pink light around the eyes."

Shamal furrowed her brows and gave a beckoning glance to the blonde currently rubbing Nanoha's back. Fate nodded and opened up the telepathic link to the doctor once again.

"What do you think, Shamal?"

"As I thought, the description sounds more like a demon from a nightmare more than anything real."

"But look at her. She's terrified right now! Nanoha was never like this before."

"You've missed a lot while you were gone."

Fate winced.

"Do you believe her?" Shamal asked.

"...I don't know." Fate thought as she watched Nanoha gaze out the window connected to the patio with despondent and tired eyes. "But we can't just leave her like this."

Shamal nodded, and gently placed one hand on Nanoha's shoulder. The girl jolted upon the touch and turned her head towards the doctor.

"Don't worry. We'll figure this out." Shamal said with a reassuring smile. "I'll inform Hayate about this and get her to help."

Almost immediately, Shamal could see the sudden change in Nanoha's demeanor. Blue eyes became a bit less dull as she beamed a tired smile. "Thank you Shamal."

"Of course." Shamal nodded, before facing Fate once more. "Fate, could I talk to you for a bit?" She then motioned towards the bedroom door behind her.

Fate gave her a confused look, but nodded. She leaned forward and whispered into Nanoha's ear. "I'll be right back, ok?"

Nanoha hummed. "Ok."

Fate walked up to the doctor, who was standing close to the doorway. "What's wrong, is there still something else with Nanoha?"

Shamal sighed and shook her head. "No Fate. This is actually about you."

"Huh? Me?"

Shamal nodded solemnly before raising one hand in front of her face. The emerald crystal ring that was resting on her finger glowed. "We tried our best, but… well."

A square hologram rose from the jewel, highlighting a library of emails and messages and other business related items. One message caught Fate's eyes, titled in big bolded letters **"Report: First Captain Fate T Harlaown."** Fate hesitantly placed a finger over the hologram of the message, revealing the hidden contents for her to read. Apparently, command has not received the debriefing of her mission. There wasn't even any indication of her return to Mid-Childa. She was to be summoned at headquarters later today for an emergency meeting with a Operations Intelligence officer for a personal report. Confused, Fate looked up at Shamal and said, "But Hayate-"

"Hayate never submitted the report to command." Shamal explained. "At least...not yet."

This only further confused Fate. As someone of such a high rank and influence, Hayate should've known that it was proper procedure to immediately report to command once a mission was completed. "Why?"

Shamal quietly bit her lip. "For you...and for Nanoha. Hayate was hoping to delay the report for a couple more days."

Fate's eyes slowly widened in realization. "Was that why…?"

"We located and rented a house for you outside the military parameter, so you could spend some time with Nanoha and Vivio."

"But why?" Fate asked once again, only this time with a hint of frustration stinging her voice. "Why were you trying to hide me from my work?"

Shamal shook her head then sighed. She stayed silent for a couple of seconds, looking past the blonde and noticing the other girl in the room for a moment before meeting Fate's gaze once more, noting the slight irritation within the crimson orbs. "You really love your job, don't you Fate?"

Fate nodded, but was perplexed by the sudden question. "Of course. It's what I've wanted to do ever since I was a kid."

"And why is that, Fate?"

"To save people." Fate said with a clear convicted look. "You should know that better than anyone as a doctor."

Shamal's eyes softened in response. "That's good." Shamal sighed in relief.

"What is?"

"You still sound like the kind little girl from all those years ago." Shamal said with a giggle. "Hayate was starting to worry that you'd change." Her playful smile was soon replaced with a serious look. "She thinks Command has something planned for you."

Fate pointed a finger towards her chest. "Me?"

"I don't know all the details, but Hayate thought that, maybe, they would send you off again once you got back." Looking back towards the other end of the room, Shamal frowned and said, "And she can't take that. Not yet."

Fate took a moment and pondered. She had been assigned more frequent and longer missions lately, but a handful of the assignments were voluntary. She made a mental note to discuss this with Hayate later.

"I appreciate this, Shamal." Fate started to recover her composure. "But you can't go behind the administration like that. I don't want you all to get in trouble because of me."

"Don't be ridiculous Fate." Shamal said softly. "We'd do anything for you and Nanoha. You're part of our family."

"Thank you, really." Fate said. "I'll go talk to Hayate later today."

"Please do."

"But...why did they send you the message instead of me?"

Shamal shrugged. "Who knows. Perhaps this was their way of warning us." With that being said, Shamal walked towards the door.

"Do you know who I'm supposed to meet up with?"

Shamal shook her head. "They say it's someone from the Inspection Department. You know how secretive they are. If I had to guess, I think they will contact you once you're back at base."

"God." Fate closed her eyes and sighed. "Inspectors?"

Fate felt a hollow sensation in her chest. It seemed that her little vacation with Nanoha was about to end. Which was a shame, considering they were only here for a day.

There was so much that we haven't done yet.

"I'm sorry." Shamal lamented, apparently having heard her thoughts via a telepathic link. "However, feel free to stay here for the time being. Nanoha's still under sick leave for the next four days."

Fate nodded, silently thanking the doctor once more before she saw her walk out into the hallway.

Shamal quietly closed the door behind her, before addressing the figure that stood right beside her, leaning against the wall.

"You didn't have to come here, you know." Shamal said.

Vita stubbornly shook her head, trying hard not to show how heavy her eyes were at that moment. "I wanted to make sure she was okay."

"She just needs a little rest for now." Shamal calmly said as she placed her hand on top of the shorter knight's shoulder.

"Damn bigwigs." Vita practically seethed under her breath, her blue eyes erupting with bright anger that burned all traces of fatigue away. "They couldn't wait just a couple more days before sending Fate on another mission?"

"All we know currently is that they requested a personal debriefing with her. They may not be sending her off anytime soon."

"And what if they do?!" Vita loudly said.

"Then we put our trust in Hayate, and we'll continue from there."

Vita clicked her tongue in frustration. "I guess…"

"Come on." Shamal beckoned. "We should let them rest for now."

"Okay…"

Once they were outside, Vita hopped into the backseat of Shamal's car and promptly fell asleep, while Shamal took out Klarwind from her pocket and began calling Hayate. The ring glowed to life, projecting a blank holographic screen that stood on standby for a couple seconds. Not a moment longer, Hayate appeared on screen, pulling back her arm from what was likely her computer monitor. She was still back at her office, her body slumped up against the desk. Tired baggy eyes turned towards the camera.

"Hayat-"

"How is she?" The brunette said with a slightly raspy voice.

Shamal winced upon hearing the painfully tired voice of her master. "Nothing too bad, but not as good as we'd like."

Hayate looked away from the screen and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Any injuries?"

"None, but I fear for the well being of her mental state."

Hayate shook her head, possibly in an attempt to wake herself up or to show her displeasure upon the update. Either way, she didn't look happy. "Continue."

"While Fate and Nanoha were up in the sky-"

"Up in the sky?" Hayate eyed the camera.

"Yes.."

"Did anyone see them?"

"No, but we can't be to sure about any security footage or satellites picking them up."

Hayate closed her eyes as she let out a long drawn out sigh. "Well...they already found out about Fate being back. Hopefully there won't be any charges." Slowly opening her eyes, she returned her half conscious attention back to the camera. "And? What happened then?"

"I'm not sure…" Shamal said as she rubbed her chin. "Nanoha said that she saw something up there with them."

"What?" Hayate's blurry and tired eyes started to harden. "What did she see?"

"The thing that's been haunting her nightmares." Shamal said. "Which is why I believe this was a hallucination from high levels of anxiety. But…"

"But what?"

"She was really scared this time. Almost unnaturally so. I could see it within her eyes, and so could Fate. I think she genuinely believed that there was something up there with her."

Hayate narrowed her eyes. "Can you describe it in detail?"

"Only a little. Something white with horns and pink light around the eyes."

Shamal saw Hayate widen her eyes. She looked shocked, almost surprised by the description. "Hayate?"

"Thank you, Shamal. That will be all. Return back home and get some rest for the morning." Hayate said as she stared blankly at her computer monitor.

"O-Of course." Shamal stuttered at the odd behavior the brunette was displaying. "But is there something wrong?"

"There might be." Hayate stated vaguely as she moved her finger over the holographic screen, typing various keys at a fast pace. "I'm not quite sure, but we'll worry about that later. Right now you need your rest."

Right then and there, Shamal had half a mind to scold her mistress over the irony of her statement, but soon saw a grim look come over the commander's eyes.

"Right away, Hayate-chan."

Hayate nodded before moving a finger over the bright red button on the top right screen of the transmission between her and the knight. Now all alone in her office, she slowly clasped her fingers together on her desk as she eyed the photo from the drone Rein sent out yesterday.

On her screen was the image of a graveyard of ships and men floating through the vacuum of space. Various pieces of jagged metals and debris that were once part of the pristine fleet she personally put together were all scattered throughout the black void. Lingering among the debris field were a handful of bloated and mangled bodies spinning grotesquely as they floated among the stars. She didn't know how long she had been staring at the picture, but she knew it was long enough for her to etch every single detail into her mind, down to the very minute and macabre details. One such detail happened to be a small streak of white light shooting across the background. At first, she thought it was nothing more than a stray comet.

However, after the description given to her by Shamal, her curiosity got ahold of her. Quickly, she magnified the designated part of the footage where the comet was located. What came up was a pixelated mass of white blocks. However, certain details were noted by the commander. Two blurry spikes protruding near the head of the comet, and a small pixel of pink between them.

"Nanoha..."

* * *

After Shamal closed the door and left the room, Fate turned around, only to find the bed empty with the covers missing. She soon spotted Nanoha sitting out on the balcony with her body huddled underneath the blankets, as she absentmindedly played with the shell hanging from her neck. Fate made her way to the open balcony, feeling the cool breeze beginning to tickle her skin. The twin moons were particularly bright that night, alongside the twinkling stars, so much so that Fate was entranced by the twilight of white light contrasting with the dark blue sky, and how the lunar and cosmic glare seemed to have reflected off Nanoha's figure seamlessly, casting an airy white glow around her outline. The sight of it all quite honestly took the breath out of her lungs.

Fate swallowed in a gulp of air as she closed the patio doors behind her. "Shamal said that she's going to talk to Hayate about this."

Nanoha didn't say anything for a moment, which made Fate slightly uneasy.

"You're going back to work today, aren't you?" Nanoha asked suddenly.

Fate visibly deflated when she heard the tinge of disappointment in her friend's voice. She had made sure to position herself and Shamal outside of hearing range when they talked. Not like she planned on hiding anything from her in the first place, but she didn't want to worry Nanoha any further. Though she shouldn't be surprised. Nanoha just knew her too well. She couldn't hide an easter egg from her even if she wanted to.

"I'm sorry." Fate said as with eyes casted downwards. "It's apparently urgent. I'm sure it's not gonna take long at a-" Her voice faded upon realizing that she didn't even know that for sure. Shamal's warnings crept back into her mind, and she started to wonder if she was going to be sent out again. It wasn't likely, but for the first time in her career, the prospect scared her. "I'm sorry."

Fate expected a multitude of different reactions Nanoha could have given her, ones that she emotionally prepared herself for. None of them were good. She figured that at best, Nanoha would puff her cheeks out in a pout and scold her harshly. Worst case was that the girl would ball both of her fists and start to mercilessly pound away at her shoulders while calling her an idiot.

However, Nanoha merely closed her eyes and shrugged her shoulders. There wasn't even a sigh, and that for some reason made Fate feel even worse. Nanoha was no stranger to drowning oneself into their work, but this was the first time she genuinely looked disappointed about it.

"It's not your fault." Nanoha assured her, though the dry tone of her voice betrayed her sincerity.

"But…" Fate's voice died in her throat.

Silence filled the air, with only the symphony of waves crashing into the sand to serenade their ears.

Nanoha's blue eyes were staring upwards at the sky with an almost neutral expression. But Fate knew her too well. She was looking at the sky in fear, which felt like an affront to Fate. Nanoha had always loved flying through the sky when they were kids. She could remember the memories vividly; how the both of them would soar through the clouds in unison, of her smiling face whenever they would race as they broke the sound barrier, how she would laugh every time Fate attempted a new aerial maneuver she practiced just for her to see, and how she would laugh even harder when Fate failed. Seeing Nanoha as she was now only made her feel sad, like she somehow failed her once again.

"You know? It's kinda funny."

Fate was quickly pulled out of her thoughts as soon as Nanoha spoke.

"What is?" Fate asked.

"It's actually pretty embarrassing." Nanoha smiled, chuckling under her breath and said, "I didn't like the sky when I was really young, much less flying."

At this, Fate could only stare wide eyed in confusion. "You're kidding, right?"

"Nope." Nanoha shook her head in response. "I was around five then. It wasn't anything big or anything, but I kinda hated the sky in all honesty. I was scared it would all fall on me." Her eyes narrowed before she continued. "But what frightened me the most was what I didn't know was up there. The feeling of looking up at something so big and so vast, it was easy to believe there was something scary out there, in the unknown." Her eyes then hardened, her eyelids slightly narrowing up at the stars. "I eventually got over it, and that fear was turned into a desire to conquer it as my own." Nanoha continued sheepishly with a laugh. "Funny right? The great Ace of Aces, afraid of the sky. I can almost taste the irony."

"But...then." Fate stuttered, devastated by the words she was hearing. "You seemed so happy when we flew together."

"Fate-chan." Nanoha looked at her. "I was happy because you were up there with me." She said as she got up and held Fate's hands in her own. "Whenever we flew together, it felt like the skies was our own personal little playground. A place away from our troubles. Away from our worries." Nanoha rested her head against Fate's chest. "Our own little world. And if there was something up there, just knowing that you'd be right by my side makes it not so scary anymore."

When Nanoha looked up at her, Fate could see the blue eyes regaining a sense of serenity. "So please, don't think that you somehow failed me, when you were the reason I fell in love with flying in the first place."

"Nanoha…" Fate gently cradled the girl's head against her chest. Her heart was racing loudly, a fact that Nanoha no doubt had picked up on.

"Embarrassing, right?"

It was almost scary how well Nanoha knew what she was feeling. Fate supposed that some people would find it off-putting to have their entire mind and soul completely naked for one person to see; to have their doubts and fear laid out on a table. But she didn't mind it at all.

"No." Fate laughed. "No. In fact, I'm quite happy actually."

* * *

It was the dead of night; the two moons hung high in the center of the Mid-Childian sky like twin sentries guarding the sleeping souls that rested under its watch. Yet oddly enough, the city lights sprawled throughout the urban terrain bubbled with life and flashes, undisturbed by the late hours of night. Cars continued to pass and bottleneck each other through various cobwebs of roads, the clubs and late hour entertainment centers boomed and buzzed with rhythmical echoes of sounds and blazes of color. Street lights glowed all over the horizon like a plague of locust, polluting the radiance of the stars and highlighting every single building into view, from small mom and pop shops to cloud piercing skyscrapers. Atop one particular skyscraper was a lone figure sitting on the edge of the building. Her legs dangled carelessly in the air as her long red duffel coat swayed with the wind alongside her glistening crimson ponytail. Beneath the brim of her dark cap hid shadows that housed two glowing pink orbs that glowered over the vast cityscape. Her fingers moved dispassionately, creating bullets out of thin air in brief flashes with one hand only for them to be pushed by her thumb into the yellow magazine that was cradled in her other hand. But her focus never left the city's busy lights.

 _[Master?]_ A small red orb flew from behind her and hovered near the side of her face.

Her hands halted in their activity, but her posture and gaze remained static.

"Coming here was a mistake." The girl spoke as she tossed the magazine over her shoulder. Within moments, the cartridge in the air dematerialized into white sparks. "We have wasted too much time. The person we need is no longer here."

The red orb dropped in altitude slightly. _[Was it really a mistake, master?]_ The device asked in a computerized, yet concerned voice.

She knew what the device was referring too. Even with the mechanized tone, it was painfully obvious. Her eyes drifted away from the yellow lights of the central city and towards its outskirts where the beaches were located. Upon swift inspection, she caught sight of the particular beach house nested near the crashing blue waves.

 _[Seeing her again was...good. Right?]_

The device's query was met with silence.

 _[Bardiche?]_ It then shifted her sights towards the golden triangle lying besides the girl.

 _[Uncertain]_ Bardiche replied back in his usual robotic voice.

The girl's gaze lingered on the beach house for a good few seconds. From its balcony, she noticed two distinct figures wrapped around in blankets and talking to each other. The glint of pink underneath her bangs wavered for the briefest of seconds before she closed her eyes and looked away. Swallowing the growing nausea rising in her throat, she stood and picked up Bardiche.

"We're going."

 _[Roger]_ The golden device pinged a yellow light in response before being placed into her coat pocket. She then turned around and extended her hand outwards. "Raising Heart."

 _[Yes Master…]_ The jewel sadly muttered, but dutifully hovered over towards the center of the woman's palm. Slowly closing her hand, she brought her fist gently to her chest.

"Let's go." The girl whispered. "There's no longer a place for us here."

Inching her steps closer to the edge of the building, she then said, "There's only one other place I can imagine where she would be." She gave one last parting glance towards the city before taking her last step. Her foot landed against air, and she soon felt the heavy force of gravity pushing her body into diving head first into the depths. White sparks encompassed her being mid-air, and she soon began to dematerialize into multiple colorless feathers. Soon enough, there was nothing left in her wake. The sound of car horns and city life persisted their relentless song without a care in the world, and the night continued to pass by peacefully, unaware of the Devil's visit.

* * *

 _Within the pristine and sterile environment of the hallway, the sounds of steps clicking against the ground echoed throughout the air. Hushed whispers surrounded the environment as two figures walked along in the middle of the hallway, while ordinary grunts and enforcers stood and meandered their way on the sides. While they were dressed in their regular black enforcer garb, the two figures at the center were dressed in white Enforcer uniforms that distinguished themselves as elites from the rest, with streaks of black lining their shoulders, the cuffs of their sleeves, and the sides of their waists and skirts. One of the figures was a short red haired girl, following slightly behind her partner as she read something from the clipboard she currently held in her hands._

 _"Intelligence has reported that the incident is ranked as a class one threat bordering on the outskirts of the seventh Dimension, Major! Surely you don't plan on going alone!"_

 _The taller figure walked on ahead in large strides, with both of her arms clasped behind her back in a strict military fashion. Her chestnut colored side ponytail swung and trailed behind her as she advanced further into the hallway._

 _"My mind's made up, Lieutenant."_

 _As the two walked onwards, each soldier they passed by expressed their respect with a salute. The taller figure nodded in response, but expressed nothing else, while the shorter girl didn't even bother, as she hastened to catch up to the taller woman._

 _"A class one Lost Logia is estimated to be on the same level as the Book of is no need for you to go alone! Please let us help!"_

 _The taller woman merely continued her long paces towards the hangar area. "I am not worried."_

 _As the two continued to bicker, the remaining soldiers could be seen growing more anxious. They gravitated their gazes away, shuffled their feet, and lowered their heads as the pair passed._

 _"At least let me come with you!"_

 _"Request denied."_

 _The other person did not even falter in her steps. Gnashing her teeth together, the small redhead rushed ahead and stood in front of the Major with arms spread outwards to keep her from walking any further._

 _"Nanoha!" Vita cried._

 _Major Nanoha Takamachi stood patiently with her arms still folded behind her back. Her face was curious, but Vita knew better. Her blue eyes were dull and cold. Vita steeled herself, pulling at her white uniform and said, "Do you know what people think of when they see this white uniform?"_

 _Major Takamachi responded with a quirked brow._

 _"They once saw a symbol of hope. A reminder of the Ace of aces, and the light that guided them through their darkest days. However, everything's different now. People have begun seeing you as a machine more than a person. They're even starting to call you names."_

 _Nanoha's brow slowly rose in moderate curiosity. "What do they call me, Lieutenant?"_

 _The redhead hesitated for a moment, opening her mouth to speak only to close it a second later. When she found her nerve, all she could allow to leave her lips was a whisper. "The Devil…"_

 _Nanoha's brows flattened, her eyes showing not a hint of emotion other than a grim sense of tolerance at the moniker. The irony was not lost on Vita, nor did it seem to escape Nanoha's steely gaze, as that was the same name that the knight branded her when they first met. The coincidence was almost funny if the air around them wasn't so heavy. By now, most of the cadets and soldiers ran off, most likely out of fear upon hearing the knight's confession to their crime of gossiping about their dear heroic Ace of Aces._

 _Vita paused, most likely awaiting a response from the taller girl. When none came, she continued._

 _"You have always fought for us, taking on missions where others would have fallen all on your own. 'Enforcer casualty rates have fallen to an all time low, Resource Management said. But you've never fought for yourself. You have saved so many enforcer's lives, but you never allowed us to return the favor. It's...too cold. "_

 _"What of it?"_

 _Vita looked up in shock. The statement wasn't vindictive, or ill-willed in anyway. The words were stated very simply, and almost innocently._

 _"I never asked anything from you, Vita. Nor do I expect anything from anyone else." Major Takamachi continued, "It is purely by my choice to fight on other people's behalf. Don't make this any more complicated than what it is." With that, Major Takamachi moved forward. As she was about to pass the lieutenant, however, the small hammer knight grabbed hold of her jacket sleeve. Despite her patience obviously being tested, the major paused in her step once again to look behind her._

 _"Lieutena-" Nanoha started._

 _"Am I not good enough?" Vita said, her gaze glued towards the ground and her eyes hidden behind her bangs._

 _At this, the Major's arm slowly began to fall to her side._

 _"I know I failed you once already, and I wasn't there for you when," She hesitated for a second, holding back the words before finally releasing them, "when Fate was gone."_

 _"Do not..." Nanoha's expression slowly softened. "Vita-"_

 _"But I promised that I wouldn't let you down again." A single tear dripped from her face as Vita spoke, her gaze still glued to the ground. "When I donned this uniform, I vowed to always stay by your side and protect you. But lately you've been so distant, I thought-" Her voice started to shake. "I thought I failed as your friend."_

 _Her breath hitched in her throat when she felt her body being enveloped in a tight hug. She could feel the woman softly stroking the top of her head as she was being held. It all felt strangely surreal to her. The major hasn't touched her like this in years. Fresh tears poured out of her eyes, prompting the little knight to rub her face against Nanoha's jacket._

 _"I'm sorry, Vita-chan." Vita heard Nanoha call her by that endearing honorific as she continued to gently run her hand over her hair. "I didn't mean it like that."_

 _"T-Then," Vita sniffed. "I'm still good enough?" The girl said as she looked up._

 _"Of course." Nanoha smiled with sad eyes as she wiped away the redhead's tears with her finger. "You and everyone else have been so good to me." Her smile faded slightly before she continued. "More than I deserve, even."_

 _"Don't say that!" Vita yelled as she balled up the jacket in front of her in her fists. "Don't you dare say that! I'll pulverize anyone who thinks that!" Her blue eyes then narrowed into slits as she looked up. "Even you."_

 _"But I made you cry." Nanoha said with the same sad smile._

 _"That doesn't matter! We'll always love you! Don't you ever forget that, you hear me?!" Vita finished with a slight tug._

 _"I know." Nanoha said as she kneeled until she was eye level with her captain. "Which is why I'm telling you not to come with me."_

 _"But!-"_

 _"Class one incidents have a significantly higher mortality rate for mages under S- ranks." Nanoha pointed out as she rested her hand on the girl's shoulder. "I can't afford to lose you or anyone else either."_

 _"Nanoha…"_

 _"I'm sorry, Vita-chan." Nanoha said as she stood up. As she turned on her heels, she tilted her head back towards the knight. "When I come back...do you mind if Vivio and I come over for dinner sometime?"_

 _Vita met her gaze with a shocked expression before narrowing her eyes and baring her teeth. "You better come back alive then."_

* * *

 _Nanoha leaned back into the seat of her scout-class starship cockpit, now dressed fully in slightly baggy white and black flight suit, absentmindedly toying with the shell necklace in her gloved fingers as she watched the bright neon lights of the dimensional wormhole pass by in front of her with a blank face. She felt a little guilty after that little incident with Vita. Guilty and alone. How long has she been accustomed to these feelings, she began to wonder. It almost began to frighten her how natural it felt, and how easy it was to push everyone away._

 _[Estimated time of travel: Five minutes, Master.]_

 _"Good."_

 _Her eyes then traveled to the golden triangular device that laid on the control layout for the ship in front of her. A momento from a past life. Something that had helped keep her sane throughout all these desolate years. Although it served no combative uses for her, it was still no less precious. It may not have listened to her commands, but it still listened to her, and was still able to hold a conversation...somewhat. In a way, the device was the closest thing to the other half of her shell that still existed. Reaching out her free hand, the device rung and emitted a bright light when her fingers gently grasped around it. Nanoha pulled both the shell and the device to her chest, closing her eyes for a second._

 _[We have arrived]_

 _In an instant, the bright neon lights of the dimensional wormhole around her ceased and faded, revealing the black and cold void of space. The only thing visible were the small cluster of stars that littered the background. Other then that, there was nothing but a dark empty vacuum. This confused Nanoha._

 _"Raising Heart." She called to the floating red orb by her head. "Are you sure you put down the correct co-ordinates?"_

 _[Yes master. The numbers are just as Captain Verossa has given you.]_

 _Furrowing her brow, Major Takamachi then looked at the navigational gauge located towards the right side of the control board, and realized the numbers did in fact match up._

 _"But that's impossible. If that's the case, then where's the Lost Logi-"_

 _Her speech was interrupted when a sudden force shook the entire ship, causing her to lurch forward violently from her seat._

 _[Damage detected outside the hull.]_

 _Nanoha frowned in annoyance as she began to rapidly tap her fingers on the holographic keyboard in front of her._

 _"What hit us?" She asked. "Magic?"_

 _[Negative. Point of impact was a result of a kinetic phenomenon. It has successfully broken through our shields.]_

 _"Are we under attack? Perhaps from some form of Mass Weapon?"_

 _[Uncertain.]_

 _Another collision soon followed afterwards, causing the girl to sway alongside the ship. When she looked out the cockpit window, she was disturbed to find the space around her was still just as empty as before. The peaceful scene only heightened the tension. Whatever was hitting her, she couldn't see it. Not with normal vision anyways._

 _Clicking her tongue in frustration, Nanoha lifted her finger towards the cockpit window. A white ring echoed outwards from her finger, encompassing the entire screen and leaving behind grid lines in its wake. From there, multiple forms started to reveal itself to her. Outlines of huge orbital structures lied in front of her ship, a sea of large space rocks. Dozens, if not hundreds of asteroids were all orbiting around one gargantuan one, around half the size of a moon. From what she could tell, the smallest of the bunch were the size of a building individually._

 _"Invisibility spell?" Nanoha was taken aback immediately, surprised that her one small ship was able to come into contact with just two impacts. "Of this grand a scale?"_

 _[Incoming collision detected!]_

 _With only a second before the collision, Nanoha had no choice but to grip the rails of her seat as she tightened her muscles and clench her jaw for the inevitable. A loud boom rocked the ship towards the left, causing an intense sensation of propulsion rippling across her muscles and skeleton. Red blinking lights started to erupt around the cockpit like a strobe, and a loud alarm was blasting from the overhead speakers._

 _Nanoha grunted, shaking away the tiny white spots that dotted her vision before she pulled the centre stick of her ship away from the rocks. Her efforts were in vain however, as the ship refused to obey her commands, instead continuing to dive further into the school of deadly orbiting space rocks. One quick glance towards the left side of the control board showed an image of the entire ship, detailing the different structures and their status, including the red highlighted right wing of the entire craft._

 _Nanoha released a shaky breath, forcefully calming her mind. She couldn't die here. She refused to die here. Not after she just made a promise to Vita of her safe return. With a quiet sense of commitment, Nanoha tilted the centre stick forward, causing the ship's momentum to speed up._

 _[Master?]_

 _"If we stay here for too long, there is no chance of us getting out alive." Nanoha said with as steady of a voice she could muster. Staying stationary inside the sea of rocks was literally asking to get pulverized. She extended outwards her free hand. In an instant, a glowing pink light started to form in front of the nose of the ship. Layers upon layers of crystal light stacked on top of each other to form a runic like shield. "I'm going to try to force a landing on that large asteroid in the center. With any luck, we can land with the ship intact long enough to call for help."_

 _Sweat dripped from her forehead as Nanoha carefully tilted the control stick upwards and back. While horizontal turning was diminished greatly, the spacecraft still had the ability to yaw, albeit in a very limited maneuver. What was still functioning, thankfully, was her control over the acceleration and the ability to ascend and descend freely. With just that, she was able to haphazardly maneuver the craft between the giant asteroids, slowing down when a gap was not wide enough, or speeding up when an available course presented itself. It was not easy, however. The gaps between the rocks were small and narrow. About only a few meters wider than her ship's width. Several rocks rammed into her shield, which did an adequate job in protecting her ship. However, each asteroid that made contact with her barrier emitted a feeling inside her stomach, akin to the sensation of a punch to the gut._

 _[This plan seems dangerous]_

 _Nanoha shook her head. "There's no other choice, Raising Heart."_

 _[If that is the case, then I will trust you]_

 _She narrowly dodged past a pair of two smaller rocks. However, one of them managed to get past by her barrier, grazing across the hull and causing the alarms to blare even louder._

 _Nanoha winced and narrowed her eyes. "Almost there."_

 _With as much nimbleness as the controls allowed her, she weaved the ship between more rocks as she accelerated closer to the central asteroid. As she did, however, more and more rocks collided against her shield, prompting her to move forward more quickly out of the asteroid field, as the impacts began to take a toll on her linker core._

 _"We're going to be okay." Nanoha stated, her vision growing fuzzy by the second. "I promised Vita...that I would come back."_

 _Then, as if it was through divine proclamation, a stray asteroid managed to collide against the back thrusters, completely immobilizing any hope of Nanoha navigating the ship._

 _By now, she had cleared past most of the asteroids, and was approaching towards the large space boulder at an unnaturally faster pace than she expected. Too fast actually._

 _It was inevitable. She was going to crash, nose first into the small moon like structure, as the image of it's surface began to grow and grow until…_

 _"Raising Heart! Convert all power into the front shield!"_

 _The crimson orb glowed in response._

 _[Alright.]_

 _A brilliant flash of pink eclipsed her entire world, followed by a series of incredibly loud noises assaulting her ears and battering her body. After that, there was nothing but black and cold. Nanoha didn't know what happened. Her vision swam as the darkness still eclipsed most of her vision. For just a few minutes, she was able to regain some semblance of consciousness. By now, she saw that she had indeed landed on top of the asteroid. However, her ship was completely destroyed. The only reason how she could tell was because she was actually outside the ship itself, staring at the smashed cockpit window she must have crashed out of at the last second. A flickering pink light encompassed the outline of her body, fighting back feebly against the cruel cold of space and trapping the oxygen still present within her body, granting her a few more precious seconds to cling to life. She felt an unnatural sense of weight pushing her body down towards the rocky surface. With her back against the coarse asteroid ground, all she could do was lie there, feeling the chill of space pricking her cheeks. Ice began to gnaw and eat away at her skin, and she was sure that her internal pressure was slowly being sucked out of her body. She turned her head, preferring to get as comfortable as she could in an attempt to gather her strength._

 _The last thing she saw before the upper and lower layers of darkness closed in on her was a hunched over figure in a black cloak walking up to her. With slow and haunting steps, the figure sauntered over the carbon terrain until they were directly staring down at her. Nanoha couldn't tell what the person looked like under the hood, for the entire region was shrouded in utter darkness. A hallucination, great. Or maybe this was perhaps Death, himself? That's just...wonderful! A brief flare of fierce indignation started to erupt in her chest, but was quickly snuffed out by her own exhaustion and the biting chill of space. Nanoha closed her eyes, hoping to god that Vita wouldn't be too cross with her for missing that dinner. The last image that flashed across her mind before it was swallowed by blackness was of an image of a golden haired girl smiling at her with bright, sad, crimson eyes._

* * *

"Huh?! No way!" Erio said sitting beside Caro with wide eyes. "That must have been rough."

In front of her, Fate giggled at the large holographic screen in front of her. She relaxed back into the seat of her car after reaching for the keys out of the ignition. "It was. To be honest, thinking back on the whole experience still makes me a bit uncomfortable."

Caro subtly nudged the edge of her elbow against Erio's stomach, earning her a slight yelp from the boy. "Sorry, Fate-san."

"We were just curious."

Waving her hands dismissively, Fate said "It's fine. I'm home now, and I missed talking to you two."

"We missed you too." Erio said.

"We thought about you every single day." Caro said afterwards, her shoulder slightly making contact with the taller boy's.

Fate's gaze softened at the two as she felt a sense of pride swell inside the center of her chest. At that very moment, she saw the subtle differences from the two teenagers in front of her. The boy's shoulders were slightly broader, and his features were more defined. Caro's stature had also matured; her height noticeably taller and her face trimmed of baby fat throughout the years.

They weren't little kids anymore.

"You two have grown so much."

Both Erio and Caro was startled by the sudden comment, looking away from the screen with red lightly staining their cheeks. Fate wanted to continue her talk with her kids for a while longer, however one quick glance towards her watch showed her that it was quickly approaching noon.

"Back to work?" Fate heard Erio from the transmission, most likely noticing the slight look she had on at that moment.

Fate offered an apologetic smile. "Sorry. I got here early, so when I saw you called-"

"Oh no! Please, don't let us get in the way of your work!" Caro hastily said with hands waving in front of her.

"We'll let you get back to it." Erio followed up with a sad smile. "You just got back, right? That means you haven't taken the evaluation yet, haven't you?"

Fate furrowed her brow. "Evaluation?"

"Ah! That's right!" Caro chirped, clapping her hands. "She wasn't here when that was implemented."

"Sorry, but I'm a bit confused." Fate scratched her cheeks. "What's this new evaluation?"

"It will be clear soon enough. We don't want you running late." Erio waved. "Tell Nanoha-san we said hello as well."

"O-ok. I will." With that, she quickly recomposed herself, waving the two goodbye as the holographic screen flickered off in front of her. She pursed her lips together and blew out a sigh. Just how much has changed since she was gone? Even after being stranded alone in a rebel run jungle, Fate felt more or less the same as she did before she went out on her mission, while everyone around her acted differently one way or another. Most noticeably Nanoha.

Almost two years, they said. Though Fate could barely believe it. It felt more like a couple of months, if she were to be quite honest. She slept just fine whenever she could, and despite what she said to Erio, the whole ordeal left her shaken as much as any other tour, which wasn't much of a standard to her nowadays. Should she be worried? Was she getting too desensitized? After all, the most memorable moments during her stay on that planet were moments when she adapting to her new environment and interacting with the locals, but the recollections of anything particular when it was time for actual combat was oddly fuzzy to her. It was almost as odd as remembering each breath a person takes throughout their day. With a shrug, she casually threw these thoughts at the back of her mind as she opened her car door. It was fine, wasn't it? Orders were orders. She did her job. She saved the people, and brought order to the entire planet, which was enough to put a smile on her face for a second.

Now outside of her vehicle, she felt the warm radiance wrapping around her body and washing away the chill of the car's air conditioner from her skin. The sun was at its apex, and the clouds were sparse and distant from each other. The day was almost too good for her liking, as she would've enjoyed it more with her family rather than being stuck at work. "Might as well get this over with", Fate told herself. In front of her was the headquarters of the Fourth Ground Forces, a large white building several stories high, with the shield emblem of the Bureau branded proudly at its peak. Despite how good the day was, there wasn't anyone outside in front of the military base to enjoy it. Not a single soul was present, all except for one singular individual leaning against the wall next to the front door of the complex. A man wearing an all white suit with a blue necktie around his neck. On top of his head was an equally white felt hat that complimented his outfit. Fate couldn't make out his face, as his head was sloped downwards and hidden behind the brim of his hat. He was likely taking a nap outside in the sun. Fate could only think of one person with the gall to shirk his duties so brazenly out in the open, and the patch of green hair peeking behind his neck and under the brim of his hat only cemented her certainty.

She ran up to the figure and shouted out his name.

"Rossa!"

The man awoke with a start, which caused his hat to jump upwards slightly before falling back down onto his bed of green hair. He groaned in annoyance underneath the brim of his hat, only for his face to light up once he saw who addressed him so loudly.

"Well well well..." A smile crept across his face. "I almost couldn't believe it when I heard the news. She's actually back." He said, spreading his arms outward as he took a few steps forward.

The two collided with a hug.

"It's been so long!"

Verossa chuckled as he straightened his blue tie. "Indeed it has! But damn…" His voice trailed off as he looked her up and down before saying, "You haven't changed at all since the last time I saw you."

Fate rolled her eyes and scoffed at the painfully obvious attempt at flirtation. "Yeah well, I can't say the same for you." She then pointed at the back of his neck. "Someone has a new look."

"You like it?" He said, lifting his hat and showing off his now shorter hair. His green hair was no longer the long flowing mane it once was, and was instead reduced to a shorter hairstyle that only reached the bottom of his ear. "Big sis made me do it. Said that if I was going to be more involved with the military, I should at least look more 'professional.'"

"Professional?" Fate quirked her brow, only to remember the exact wording the email had laid out to Shamal. "Oh right. I was supposed to meet with someone from Operations. Was that supposed to be you?" She asked with a sense of disbelief.

"Figured it out, huh?" Verossa said with a smirk. "Think of it like a second job."

"I know." Fate said. "That's why I find it so weird."

"How rude." Verossa huffed indignantly.

With that, the two began walking into the building. Verossa stepped through the front door with his usual lackadaisical swagger, his hands hidden within the pockets of his coat. "As you probably know, the Intelligence Department is still a relatively new branch that the bureau hasn't quite comfortably instituted yet."

"Yes." Fate was aware of the fact. Even before she departed, the branch was mostly just a shadow of the Resource Management Department. But anything beyond that was lost on her.

"Ever since we started to expand our territory, there was more of a demand to know exactly what we were dealing with. Afterall, the entirety of the dimensional sea is fairly big. But Operation Resources didn't have the manpower to have anyone collect the data they need, so command found it adequate to use staff from the Inspection Department."

Now stepping through the door herself, Fate was then met with the near biting chill of the air conditioned building. A large chandelier hung overhead, reflecting the sunlight from the windows around the room. At the end of the spacious room was a large singular elevator that was placed between two hallways. "So, that's how you ended up here?"

"More or less." Verossa shrugged his shoulders. "Think of Intelligence as the awkward red-headed bastard child between the Operations Department and the Inspection Department. Instead of spying against the military, I find myself spying for it. And to be honest, I'm not really digging how stringent everything is." He then smiled gleefully. "But hey, the new position comes with a free promotion." Verossa flashed his new badge underneath his coat flaps, revealing his golden plated emblem of Captain.

"That's great, Rossa!"

"I guess." He shrugged. "The pay raise is nice, but it just means I have a lot more stuff to do nowadays."

"Well, I'm just glad that they sent you for this,"

Verossa smiled and laughed. "Why is that, I wonder?" He said as he gave her a look. "Do you think just because we're friends, I'm gonna let you off the hook or something?"

Fate shyly looked around the room. "A little."

Verossa placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "If only I had that much authority."

Walking deeper into the center of the foyer, Fate noticed that the entire room was devoid of other staff members. "Rossa, where is everyone?"

Verossa hummed and stroked his chin. "I was wondering that myself. But everyone's been busy nowadays; I assume that most of the grunts are off doing drills while the officers are in a meeting."

"Busy?" Fate echoed. "That's not what Hayate said."

"Well then she's lying," Verossa replied. "The poor girl was only able to function off coffee the past week. In fact, I wasn't able to talk to her at all yesterday."

"Oh…" Fate found that odd. "Well, where are we going?"

"Well…" He drawled out the syllable. "This is the part where I properly gather your field report by ear. Don't worry, it's not going to take long at all. Just a couple of general questions. Hayate probably has most of the answers already, but I'm just here to make sure."

"So you already know that I already reported to Commander Hayate?" Fate asked guiltily.

"It would make sense. She was supposed to report to me or someone from Operations." Verossa then noticed the discomfort on the blonde's face. "Relax, you're not in trouble. At least I don't think you are."

"Yeah but...what about Hayate?"

"Hayate?" Verossa began to wonder that himself. "I'm not sure. But she's a tough girl. I wouldn't worry about it."

The both of them stopped at the center of the room. "Now then, let's begin."

Fate instinctively straightened her posture, awaiting the questions. Oddly enough, however, she did not see the inspector take out any papers or documents from his person. Instead, he merely asked each question in the most casual tone ever. His eyes looked upwards for a second, before he asked, "You were tasked with the liberation of unadministered planet #625, or more commonly called Eltruria. During your tour, did you happen to take note of the type of weaponry the rebels stored?"

"Yes." Fate said automatically. "From my time there, I noticed various forms of advanced magic tech based weaponry. The assailants carried military grade armaments similar to our own forces, ranging from Mid-Childian styled staffs to mass category cannons and ordinates."

Verossa hummed and nodded, mentally taking notes in his head. "And I'm going to guess that the reason you went dark is because of some sort of anti-communication device?"

"Yes sir." Fate replied with an obedient tone. "The rebels also had an advanced planetary wide disruption system that blocked out most of my attempts at contacting Mid-Childa. All the sign points towards some sort of AMF device."

"And you managed to take down the entire rebel force, despite the field being active?"

"Not at first. I had to go dark for a few months and live amongst the locals while doing some reconnaissance." Fate explained with a straight face. "Whenever I could, I found myself practicing various types of electrical magic, and I soon discovered a way to fully convert energy from my linker core into pure electrical power. Through that, I was able to gain a lot of natural heat and melt through the field."

"Impressive." Verossa chuckled as he shook his head. "Just what I would expect from you, after all."

"Thank you." Fate bowed.

"Now all that's left is one more question."

"Wait," Fate said, taken aback. "That's it? Only one more?"

"Told you we were going to keep it short." Verossa gave her a wink. "Now for the last question, I wanted to ask you about the casualties that occurred during your mission."

The question left Fate a little confused for a moment. Nevertheless, she tried to answer the query as best as she could. "Well, from the direct confrontations and skirmishes I encountered with the enemies, I didn't suffer from any wounds too serious-"

"That's not quite what I meant." Verossa said, leaving the statement hanging in the air for a few seconds. "I am more interested in the enemy's casualty rates."

A sickening feeling then hit Fate for a moment.

"More importantly their mortality rates." Verossa continued with a neutral tone. "You don't have to give me a number, or anything. Just give me a general count. If it's only a few, then that's fine to say." He shrugged "Or a lot, whatever works for you."

Fate couldn't help but feel disgusted at the question being asked. Why in the world would Intelligence be interested in such brutal details about her mission, she couldn't fathom to know. Most likely it's tactical data for the Operations Department, but even still, she felt uneasy nonetheless. Despite this, she forced herself to retrace her memory back to when she was in that jungle infested planet. Memories of the exotic wildlife and the peculiar culture were the first to resurface, but she cast those aside quickly, as they weren't relevant to the mission at hand. Through the fog of her psyche, the answers began to morph into form. Recollections of smoke and fire pervaded her senses. The scent of melting metal and singed flesh assaulted her mind, and she was able to remember the mass amounts of men and women she took down. With each swing of her weapon, she saw scores of hundreds, no, probably thousands of radical rebels flying and rolling through the air. She looked at their faces as they fell; visages of fear and desperation etched forever as they drew their last breath. The sight of it all was so… nauseating. But it was soon washed away in a comfortable, yet cold feeling of fidelity to her mission.

"A lot." She whispered under her breath.

Verossa stared at her for a good second, gauging the weight of her words. "I see". Seeming satisfied with the answer, he nodded in confirmation. "Very good. That concludes the field report."

"W-wait, that's it?" Fate found herself hesitating at the words. "But what about the details revolving around the locals? Afterall, didn't we come there to help them in the first place?"

"Well, Fate." Verossa started. "Most of that will probably be left to the new government. They will likely reach out to us soon, and we can get the full details then."

"Then what about the Rebels?" She further pressed. "While I was there, I lived with the people and their villages. I slept in slums! How was it that they were able to afford such high-grade weaponry, but the people could barely afford a roof over their heads. Don't you find that odd?"

"Hmm. Well that's a given." Verossa said. "After all, we were the ones who supplied them in the first place."

"What?" Fate could only stare bug eyed as her feet wobbled underneath her weight. It felt as though someone took a metal pole to her gut, and here she was reeling back from the effect.

"But that's classified information, so I shouldn't say much more." Verossa said as he looked sideways, almost purposely looking away from Fate's burgundy eyes.

"Now wait a minute!" Fate cried out in frustration. "You can't just tell me something like that, and not expect me to say anything!"

To this, Verossa shrugged his shoulders with as much innocence he could convey. "Like I said, I don't have the authority to dispense the information, myself. If you want to know, then you're going to have to ask someone with a higher rank."

"Then why did you even tell me in the first place?! And don't tell me you did it by accident!" Fate asked, growing ever more frustrated by the second. By now, she could feel her entire body shaking.

Verossa sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Because you're my friend, and I decided to throw you a bone for once. However, one broken protocol doesn't warrant all of them being broken."

"But I-!"

"Fate." Verossa interrupted, locking his blue eyes straight into her red ones. "You've hurt a lot of people, and probably ended more." He said in a calm, yet reassuring tone. "I don't blame you for thinking that your efforts were in vain. You can't save everyone. But make no mistake, those people living on that planet benefited from your presence." He smiled. "That much I can guarantee."

Fate lowered her gaze, collecting her thoughts and worries. Verossa could still see that the girl harbored some doubt. Breathing out a somber sigh once more, he continued, "We're soldiers, Fate. Sacrifices must be made for the better outcome for everyone. Please don't forget what you are fighting for."

Fate did not like that sentiment one bit, but to contest it at that moment wouldn't amount to anything. She exhaled slowly, and re-gathered her composure. Now was not the time to get emotional. She was technically on duty at the moment. "I understand."

"Excellent." Verossa chirped, turning on his heel and walking further into the foyer. "Ugh, all this military strictness is starting to suffocate me." He said humorously in an attempt to brighten the mood he knowingly dampered. Fate remained silent, choosing to follow behind him. She suspected that her duty today wouldn't end that easily. The two walked in silence for a second, with the Inspector heading towards the elevator that was stationed at the end of the room. The awkward silence hung in the air until it was shattered by the sound of the door behind them opening.

"Oh? Fate-san, is that you?"

Both Verossa and Fate turned around upon hearing the familiar voice. Stepping into the building was a tall lean man with his yellow hair tied in a ponytail, wearing a green blazer, and a pale yellow undershirt underneath. He reached up to fix his glasses from falling off. "I can't believe it."

Fate ran up to the man and embraced him with enough force to knock him back. "Yuuno! I missed you so much!"

"Haha, hello Fate!" Yuuno laughed as he embraced her back. "Long time no see!"

"Well hey there, buddy." Verossa said, walking up to the two in casual strides.

"Verossa." Yuuno said as he turned towards his friend. "How are you doing?"

Verossa shrugged. "Busy work. Same old thing, different day. You know what it's like to be working at the bottom of the totem pole."

Yunno laughed sheepishly, scratching the back of his head with his free hand. When Fate stepped away, Verossa spotted the manilla envelope underneath the librarian's arm.

"Got business here too, I'm guessing."

"Yeah." Yuuno said, looking down at his envelope. "Got some stuff Hayate has been asking for. I was going to drop them off at her office, if she was here at least."

Verossa hummed in thought. "Well, why don't you come along with us and catch up with Fate? She and I still have some business to take care of. And if Hayate isn't available, you can just give it to me."

"Don't mind if I do then." Yuuno said politely.

She wouldn't admit it outloud, but if she were to be quite honest, Yuuno's presence made her day a lot more bearable. Not that she felt any ill-will towards Verossa, he was just doing his job after all, but the little snafu with him a few minutes ago left a rather sour taste in her mouth.

"So how long have you been back, Fate?"

"Around two days." Fate replied. "Though it honestly felt a lot longer than that."

"That so?" Yuuno said knowingly. "Well I can imagine how happy Nanoha is feeling at the moment."

Suddenly, she found the topic drift back to her. "Yeah…"

Yuuno glanced towards her direction upon picking up the slight hesitation in her voice. Verossa continued to slowly walk ahead, choosing not to interrupt. "How is she?"

"She's…" Fate faltered in her tone, feeling the twinge of guilt sticking in her throat. "She's resting at the moment."

To her surprise, Yuuno heaved out a small sigh of relief. "Really? 'Rest?'" He laughed. "I can hardly imagine her taking it easy for once. Though if anyone could get that stubborn girl to settle down, I don't know anyone else more capable than you."

"Right…"

Already, an oppressive air loomed over the three, a fact that both the inspector and Yuuno picked up on immediately. Fate stilled her lips, her thoughts drifting back towards last night and Nanoha's sudden and odd breakdown.

"Yuuno." She called out. "And Rossa."

The green haired captain perked his ears.

"Nanoha, she's…" Fate started, but found her words slipping. "There's something different about her, and it's worrying me."

Verossa looked back and the two males exchanged glances for a second.

"What happened while I was gone?" Fate asked the two. "Did something happen?"

Verossa instinctively coughed into his sleeves to clear his throat. "Well…"

Yuuno glanced towards his side with a frown. "Ever since we lost communications with you, she's been really rough on herself."

"The girl's mood began to take a hundred-and-eighty degree turn fast." Verossa chimed in. "Over time, I saw her less and less in the cafeteria, and more in the training room. Honestly, I was more worried about her croaking than you."

Fate narrowed her eyes and winced. "That idiot…"

Suddenly, a fourth pair of footsteps could be heard echoing through the empty room, completely shifting the tempo of their own.

The trio stopped in their tracks, turning their attention towards an oncoming shadow stepping through the dark entrance way at the far right of the large room. The overhead chandelier lights of the foyer did little to reflect off the figure. With slow methodical strides, the figure at last stepped into the brightly lit room.

"My my…" Verossa said with a grin.

"It's her…" Yuuno said in a hushed voice.

Fate chose not to speak; her throat was frozen in stasis. Standing a couple of meters from them was a female wearing a black top hat and dressed in a matching twin tailed tuxedo that had silver linings decorating across her chest and gray metal pads covering her shoulders, with a long black cape fluttering behind her that reached down to her legs. Beneath the brim of her hat was a patch of short, ashen blonde hair that hung over her porcelain white skin. Fate's gaze was trapped and spellbound underneath the woman's left purple eye that peeked beneath her borderline colorless bangs. What caught her off guard though was the metal gray pad that covered her entire right eye. At the center of the contraption was a group of three glass lens grouped together.

"Who is that?" Fate whispered towards Yuuno.

"That's right, you just got back." Yuuno said, refusing to take his eye off the mysterious girl. "Thats-"

"Coryyn! Darling! It's been an eternity!" Verossa called out loudly and brazenly. "How have you been, my girl?"

The pale haired girl turned her attention towards the inspector, but any other emotion was lost to both Yuuno and Fate.

"C-Coryyn?" Fate choked out.

"That's Major General Coryyn Vair." Yuuno explained to the stiffened girl. "Doctor and Head of the Weapons and Magic R&D."

Fate's eyes then caught the glint of metal shining around her neck. Upon closer inspection, she saw the medal of a cross clipped to the center of the fabric.

"I've heard of her." Red pupils quaked upon studying the almost phantom-like entity in front of her. "So that's..."

As an enforcer for the TSAB, it was only natural that she came across the name of the faceless mastermind that bestowed her and her allies with the very weapons they fought with, as well as the medical devices that kept her going when times turned rough, and given the almost brutal effectiveness of some of her work, Fate couldn't help but hold some level of respect after finally setting eyes on the woman herself. There was a level of unease about the person however, as she's heard some rather heinous rumors and dubious exaggerations about the doctor's research into the arcane alongside her experimentation into the mysteries of bio-magic during her career as a soldier. She would normally scoff at such exaggerated details and assumed that it was the machination of bored mages with too much time and imagination, but upon actually seeing her in person and the air of mystique around her, she could at least partially understand why some have dubbed the enigmatic doctor-

"The Necromancer…"

The doctor lazily narrowed her eyes. "Verossa." She finally spoke in a cold and dry tone, yet her voice sang with an even and regal sound. "To what do I owe this displeasure?"

Verossa halted in his approach upon recognizing the glint in her glare. "As crass as ever, huh?" He said nervously as he backtracked his steps. "Just on TSAB business, ma'am. Just finished up with our Enforcer's field report. In fact..." He motioned back towards Fate. "I don't believe you two met."

Fate then realized how unprofessional she was at the moment. Yuuno, despite working for the bureau, has no official place in the military hierarchy, and Verossa already demonstrated clearly how little he cared for formality. In a quick movement, she snapped her heels together and offered a salute to the high ranking officer.

"Good afternoon, General." Fate said respectfully, despite the light knot sticking to her throat. "It's an honor to finally meet you."

Coryyn merely glanced back at her with an emotionless mask. The moderate amount of distance between her and the doctor did little to assuage the uneasiness Fate felt underneath the oppressive scrutiny. The way the lens glared at her almost made it seem like she was being examined underneath a microscope; like she was being perceived as a shiny rock rather than an actual person.

"Fascinating." Coryyn said, a small ghost of a smile graced the young girl's lips. Whether she was actually addressing her directly or merely thinking out loud, Fate didn't know. "I've heard quite a few things about you, Captain Harlaown. Tales of one of the legendary Three Aces tend to leave echoes throughout our forces."

Fate arched a brow. "Three Aces, ma'am?"

"Yes. You, and two others that are close to you, if I remember correctly. Your reputation precedes you." Coryyn explained. "One is The Angel, who guides and looks over our soldiers under her wings. Then there's The Queen, who leads and rallies them to her cause. And then there's you…" Coryyn said as she pointed a finger at her. "The Knight; their champion in battle."

Fate was honestly surprised. Sure, she realized that some of her peers looked up to her, but she never expected such a celebrity status around her and her friends. Perhaps with the mass migration of soldiers across the seas, stories of her would grow more exaggerated. Still though, it was something that she's not used to.

"Has she undertaken The Magus Evaluation yet?" Coryyn suddenly turned towards Verossa.

"Not yet." Verossa replied in his usual friendly tone. "We're just about to head up right about now, actually."

"I see." Coryyn said and turned her head towards the front of the room. "I'll let you get to it then." With that, she began heading towards one of the corridors next to the central elevator.

"Till we meet again, Captain." The doctor said with her back facing Fate.

"Oh." Fate stuttered. "Likewise, ma'am."

After some time passed the echoes of footsteps began to dissipate deeper into the halls of the building.

"Phew." Yuuno exhaled heavily. "Forgot how to breath for a moment there."

"She's not quite what I expected." Fate finally said as she also let out a soft sigh.

"Yeah, she's a little bit eccentric." Verossa grinned and slightly shrugged. "But she gets a lot of bad rep that's undeserved. Once you sit down and actually talk with her, you realize that she's not so bad."

Fate slowly dragged her gaze away to meet Verossa, before slowly dragging it back to the hallway the doctor disappeared into.

"You know, for an inspector, you sure have some rather odd deductive reasoning." Yuuno pointed out with a straight browed expression.

"It felt like she was talking at me, rather than with me." Fate added.

"Being smart at that level often comes at a price." Verossa replied. "When you have been working as long as she have in a secluded laboratory, it's no wonder that she talks to everyone like they are her lab rats."

"But she looks younger than me."

"Trust me, she's a lot older than she looks. The girl has her ways, I'll tell ya." He left the statement hanging in the air and pressed a button with an upward arrow. "Going all the way up." Once the lights above the doors lit up, he motioned her towards the elevator. "Well you heard the lady. Don't wanna disappoint her, and all that."

"Sure Rossa, but what exactly are we doing?" Fate rose a brow as she walked through the elevator door.

"Doctor Vair said something about the Magus evaluation, right?" Yuuno said as he walked up to the elevator door, but not actually stepping into the car itself.

"Ah, that's right."

"Sure, ruin the surprise why don't ya." Verossa said with a hint of annoyance, but the smile on his face betrayed the sentiment. "Wait a moment, ferret boy. Didn't you have to take it too?"

Yuuno let out a sheepish laugh and scratched the back of his head with his free hand. "Yeah. I assumed only military personnel had to take it. Woe is me, right?"

Verossa then gave him a sympathetic grin. "Not a good score, huh?"

"No." Yuuno sighed. "One star. But it's fine." He said as he tapped on the manilla folder under his arm. "I'm a researcher, not a fighter. It doesn't bother me."

"That's the spirit. We all have our place in this vast wonderful administration."

"Um." Fate called out, grabbing the attention of both men. "Pardon me, but what is this evaluation you guys are talking about?"

"It's a new standard that the bureau is having every one of its member undertake. Think of it like a second Mage Rank-" He paused mid-sentence when the elevator door started to close. Quickly, Verossa stuck his arm out to leave it open. "Honestly, I think it will be easier to explain when I show you what's happening." He told Fate, who reluctantly nodded her head. He then turned towards the blonde librarian. "You coming?"

"Hmm." Yuuno gave him a quick look and hummed, shifting his gaze upwards. "I think I'll just take the stairs and head straight up to Hayate's office on my own."

"You sure?" Verossa said as his gaze drifted to the folder underneath Yuuno's arm. "We don't mind waiting. She might not be available, you know. If you want, I can hold onto that." He then extended his arm forward.

"Ah, no that's fine." Yuuno said as he took a step back. "I'll just head to the cafeteria if she's busy and wait there."

Verossa's eyes remained on the folder for a moment before switching back to Yuuno. Then, with a shrug, he said, "Suit yourself, friend." He then pulled his arm back into the car, which soon prompted the elevator doors to close.

"I'll see you around then." Verossa winked as the doors closed.

Yuuno hummed in response with a nod. Afterwards, he gave Fate a smile and waved his hand. "Good luck on your evaluation, Fate. I'll be cheering you on."

With the doors only an inch apart, Fate only had enough time to let out a wave of her own. "Thank you, Yuuno. It's good seeing you aga-" The doors then closed, and the glowing digit hovering above the entrance began to increase.

Yuuno then let out an audible sigh. He glanced around himself, checking if anyone was present that he might have missed. Unsurprisingly, there wasn't a single soul present in the entire room. A chill ran down his spine, and he gulped down his spit. With a faster than average pace, he walked over to the spiraling staircases located next to the elevator. It took a while, but his venture up six flights of stairs finally came to a close, and he soon found himself standing in front of a door with a golden plate embedded with the inscription, "Lieutenant Colonel Yagami Hayate."

He exhaled a heavy breath, as a single bead of sweat gathered around his brow. He raised his fist up to the door, and left it hanging for a second. He knocked three times.

"It's me."

After a brief moment of silence, he could hear a soft and tired voice behind the door. "Come in."

After hearing the invitation, he quickly turned the knob and stepped into the office. The entire space was a tad unorganized. Tattered papers and documents were strewn across the main table. On the side, he could hear the whirr of the coffee machine next to him, and judging from the stains around it, and the half empty mug in front of the computer monitor, he couldn't imagine that it was only recently turned on.

"You look like a mess."

Hayate gave him a dry glare underneath her slightly disheveled bangs. "I've been busy." She said as she finished the rest of her coffee in one gulp. "Did you find anything?"

Yuuno then took out the contents hidden within the folder. From the folds, his finger took out a couple of papers and laid them out on the table. Multiple photos and one document with long paragraphs in a language different from what she's used to. "Not much, I'm sorry to say. I could have maybe found more if it wasn't the middle of the night."

"Sorry about that." Hayate said, rubbing her eyes with her thumb and finger. "And thank you."

"Don't mention it." Yuuno raised his glasses up with his finger. "Just get me something from the cafeteria afterwards, and we can call it even."

Before her, Hayate looked at the photographs laid out. Her eyes narrowed bitterly. One of them she recognized instantly just from the sea of mangled bodies. It was the photograph Rein's drone took, all in static detail that her mind unfortunately printed behind her lids, including the glowing white streak in the background.

"I know you told me not to ask any questions." Yuuno said as he stood patiently in front of the table.

"But you're going to, anyways, right?" Hayate said as she stacked the papers over each other.

"With all those people...I mean," Yuuno stuttered. "Will you report this?"

"I already did." Hayate almost spat out. "I reported to Chrono, and he told me he would take care of it. Though it looks like he wasn't able to do much by himself."

Yuuno then briefly looked behind him. "There was no one around today…" He said, piecing together the puzzle.

"Yep." Hayate sighed. "I was afraid of this happening. Chrono said that a lot of the readily available ground force troops were reassigned to different outposts just this morning. I don't know anything yet, but I think it might be related to what you see in this picture."

"I see…"

Both were silent, dreading of the possible consequences. Their thoughts drifted towards one singular person.

"Then Fate will-"

"I will not allow that." Hayate said immediately. "I am still commander of this facility, so any orders will have to go through me. Chrono won't let that happen either. He's still an admiral overlooking the Executive Office, afterall."

"I hope you know what you're doing." Yuuno exhaled with an unconfident tone.

Hayate laid the first picture to the side and looked at the one hidden underneath. It was a photo of the white comet, only now magnified a lot more clearly from the Infinite Library computers. Unfortunately, most of the image was still hidden within a shroud of light, but the head of the comet was clearer at the very least. She could make out the image of two horns, and a line of pink blazing across the object's face.

"Well done, Yuuno." Hayate said. "Any ideas on what this could be?"

"Well clearly it's not a meteor like you originally thought. From the color and location, I thought it might have been a dragon at first. But drakes are usually not that small and usually not that fast."

Yuuno stepped forward, and pulled a couple of pages from the stack underneath. "So then. I snuck my way into the Library at night and did a little digging. To my surprise, there actually wasn't much on white glowing humanoid sized figures with horns and pink lens. All except for one source..."

Hayate then looked down at the photos he was tapping his fingers on. One photo that immediately caught her attention was an image of a colorful stained glass depictions that was not unlike the ones she would often find on windows at the Saint Churches.

"This looks Belkan." Hayate said.

"That's because it is Belkan." Yuuno explained. "All I could find relating to the photo you sent me were a few Ancient Belkan scriptures."

The glass depicted multiple rings and layers categorizing classes of people. At the very bottom of the glass were rows of countless blocky shaped pedestrians and peasants rebelling against armored warriors wielding medieval weaponry over them. Above the row of chaos were around a dozen robed individuals with crowns drawn on top of each of their heads.

"The Saint Unification War?"

"Most likely, but take a look at this."

Yuuno then pointed towards the robed figures; all of which were holding their hands together and looking up at one solitary figure centered at the top of the stained glass that was drawn at a much grander scale than the rest. The large entity was drawn with a cape draped around his body, holding a sword pointing downwards in a regal fashion.

"Is that…?" Hayate then noticed the figure's head. Two blade like horns held up a giant decorated crown and a large line was drawn across the circular head. "No way. You think it's the same person?"

"It's the only thing I could find that comes remotely close. So maybe."

"Then who is this that I'm seeing?" Hayate said as she picked up the photo and pulled it closer to her.

"I'm not too sure myself." Yuuno shrugged. "All I could find on that figure were a couple of old Belkan scriptures."

Hayate reached for the document with her other hand. Her eyes glossed over the ancient looking Belkan texts.

 _"Glory be to the Fatherland."_ Hayate translated out loud as her finger traced over the words. _"Through the valley of chaos and the rivers of sacrificial blood, thou shalt bear witness to the light of the Kings shepherded by the Primordial Saint…."_ She rose her brow. "I have...no idea what this means."

"It sounds like this is related to the war." As though that were a surprise, considering the culture in question. Still...

"What in the world were they referencing?" Hayate asked before continuing the next line.

 _"Through the sweat of our brothers, and through the blood of our kinsmen; a gateway shall be open to Eden. Be strong in the Daemon, for he shall marshal the Saints in our name."_ She shook her head in confusion. The rest of the text were more vague, possible justifications for the War, something that was never touched upon in the Official Church scriptures, and all of it was somehow related to this enigmatic figure.

The First Heiliger.

Primordial Sankt.

Demon Lord of the Saint Kings.

All were monikers to this shadowy form given life in the ancient and mysterious characters scribbled across the page.

"I have never heard any of this in the Holy Texts."

"These weren't from the Library." Yuuno told her. "I got these from old archeological digs overseen by the Saint Church itself. In fact, there were more references, but I couldn't access them."

"What? Aren't you the Chief Librarian for the place?"

"Well, yes. However they're sanctioned under the jurisdiction of the Heilinger Kaiser Church. Something well above my authority."

"Why would the Church sanction part of the library off?." Hayate said. "Then we'll have to get Carim's help on this. She'll probably know more anyways."

"Agreed."

The two would find their gaze returning back to the drone's photograph, before moving back to the old stained glass. Yuuno then noticed her hollow and vacant eyes that stared at nothing in particular.

"Hayate?"

"Sorry." Hayate said, eyes still glued to the photos. "I just…when I look at this thing, I feel cold for some reason."

* * *

Deep within the darkness of space, a giant planetoid sailed through the stars, unknown to no mortal and even escaping the influence of light itself. Within the asteroid itself lied a spacious and mysterious cave that had only one opening entrance. At the center of the large hollow space was a large device of archaic design thats split open into three separate parts. At the center of those pieces emitted a large hologram depicting a vast interconnecting system of cobwebs outlining star clusters and galaxies that coated the asteroid walls in shades of blue. Sitting at the base of the structure was an elderly figure dressed in an all black robe. The hem of the hood was positioned at an angle that casted a shadow that eclipsed virtually all of the person's visage. Beneath the shadows however, dull pupiless eyes peered straight into the cosmos emitted from above with insight no living entity could hope to ascertain.

Her posture was still, motionless. Her influence echoed throughout the asteroid terrain, the space around her acting as an extension of her senses. The ground under her shifted ever so slightly. She could feel a presence landing on the surface above her. Someone was coming.

Soon, the sound of feet hitting against rock echoed off the cave walls. The elderly women inclined her head towards the entrance way of the cave. Slowly, a figure garbed in metal and cloth came into view as the darkness and shadows of the cave peeled away from the body with each step the person took. The armored mage then stopped when she neared the center of the cave, locking her gaze onto the dark garbed being. Silence permeated the air as the glow of her visor clashed against the shadowy void underneath the hood.

Finally, the robed body spoke. "You are a peculiar sight."

The armored mage offered no response. The elderly woman returned her gaze back to the artificial cosmos, instantly acclimating with the new presence next to her.

"What is it that you seek, child? You are a far way from home. There is little value that could be found on this forgotten rock."

The mage then pulled something out of her white jacket and threw it at the elder's head. The object sailed through the air, but was was immediately caught in a floater spell right before it could make impact. Peering from underneath the hem of her hood, the elderly woman saw a very familiar brightly colored seashell levitating right before her very eyes.

"You are testing my patience." The armored mage hissed coldly.

The woman then looked past the shell and noticed something interesting happening in front of her. The stars began to move. Seeing this, her mouth curled itself into an amused smile.

"One can never be entirely sure in this chaotic and ever bending reality." She said as she lowered the shell down onto the palm of her hand. Now fully content, she angled her head back at the white mage and allowed the glow of the emitter to reflect off her face. The wrinkles on her face showed how long she's been roaming throughout existence, and behind her head was a cluster of long flowing gray hair hidden away at the back of the hood with the exception of two long strands hanging down to her chest. Her eyes, however, remained hidden under the brim of the hood.

"It has been a long time, Takamachi Nanoha." The way her words were formed held an air of subtle hollowness, but still had a slight undertone of sheer conviction. The white mage did little to respond, only showing her displeasure upon the utterance of her name with a brief flash of her visor.

"No." The elder woman retracted. "Perhaps those are not the most appropriate words to say at this moment. After all…"

Her words hung in the air, leaving a trail of empty glee behind them.

"This would be our first encounter in this universe."


	5. Fallen Star

_What she last remembered before she was knocked out was the biting chill of space gnawing away her skin. Even after her consciousness faded to black, her body was numb and cold, left to drift in a careless, lightless void._

 _Through the painful haze, she wondered if she was dead. But no. She wasn't._

 _Her suspicions became defiance; overcome with an intense heat coursing through her body. Her eyelids opened slowly and was met with the sight of stalactites far above, awash in a calming blue hue. Wrapped around her body was a rather modest blanket, thin and worn, yet admittedly warm._

" _Raising Heart…?"_

 _Nanoha groaned as she sat up. She didn't allow herself time to get caught up in the fear of not knowing what had happened that led her to being here, instead pushing herself up, perched as she looked about in the gloom. The source of light was hidden behind stalagmites to her left; just bright enough to allow Nanoha to identify the cavern in which she sat. It was surprisingly ordinary, but the blue light was not, and as she turned, to reach beyond the stalagmites-_

" _I see that you refuse to yield to Death once again."_

 _A voice spoke from the darkness._

 _Instinct allowed Nanoha's body to react as fast as it did, despite her aching muscles. She brought her forearm up in front of her, palm towards the source of the voice, haloed in a glow of ethereal pink._

 _The light reached deep into the darkness, chasing the shadows from the cavern, illuminating a hooded entity that wasn't seen before. It wasn't surprising, as the stranger sat, her body hidden beneath a raven-black robe. Nanoha could see nothing of her, not even her face except for two pale, colorless eyes that peered from the folds of the cloth that mummified her entire face. Sunken, lifeless eyes…_

" _You're the one from before."_

 _Any expression that the stranger showed to having a handful of blaster magic held to her face was hidden._

 _Instead, she spoke, calm and slow. "I'm surprised. Most would have perished immediately in a collision that intense -and without the aid of a Jacket no less. How do you feel?"_

" _A little rough."_

 _Nanoha wondered if this was supposed to be some sort of praise. It felt more like amusement from a spectator than real concern a stranger might give, even if it only was in passing._

 _But as non-threatening as she appeared, from her lightless eyes to her bleak attire, there was something about this woman sent chills down Nanoha's spine._

" _Where am I?"_

" _My personal chambers," she answers. "You are safe here."_

 _Nanoha felt anything but safe._

 _She didn't know why, didn't know what screamed "danger" as she stood before the cloaked woman. Her own hand was still outstretched, promising retaliation should there be any sudden action against her._

" _No need to be alarmed, my child. I am defenseless, as you can see."_

" _Forgive me if you find that I'm a bit skeptical," Nanoha said, regarding her cautiously. "But this pressure I'm feeling from you… It's magic, isn't it?" Her eyes narrowed as she suddenly recalled more details about her current predicament. "Also an asteroid this size shouldn't have a gravitational pull this potent. For all I know, you could've been the one to force my ship to crash in the first place."_

" _Ah, you are a perceptive one. In this instance you are correct. The trials you underwent were indeed of my design," the old woman explained, without a hint of shame or guilt. "You are a trespasser, after all. Still, I am pleased to see you have survived. Perhaps fate intended us to meet like this."_

 _An image of golden hair surged into her mind._

" _Enough," Nanoha commanded as a twinge of anger sparked within her, pulling an edge into her voice. Right now, she had to worry about her mission and_ only _her mission. "I have a couple of questions for you-" She quickly checked over her body with a slight pulse of her mana and found that something was missing._

" _Where's Raising Heart?"_

 _To this question, the old lady finally moved. She raised a hand, the sleeve of her robe falling back to reveal paper-thin skin stretched over aged bone. In frail, unwinding fingers she held up the missing crimson orb, resting on her palm. The device glowed comfortingly._

 _[Master?] The device flickered._

" _Raising Heart…!" Nanoha blinked, her gaze traveling back and forth from the woman to the jewel._

" _Your device was in critical condition in the aftermath of the crash. I trust you don't mind that I took the liberty of rekindling its blaster core?"_

 _What was with this woman? She was cordial, but the air around her was too mysterious for Nanoha to completely trust. However, she felt no imminent danger coming from her, nor any killing or malicious intent. Was she to be trusted?_

 _Nanoha decided to lower her hand, dispelling the charged magic. It wouldn't have done much without her device anyway, and the stranger did save her._

 _The woman proceeded to levitate the device towards her master. "Though I am surprised to see it in such a pristine condition, even after all this time."_

 _Nanoha quirked her brow at the hushed words underneath the woman's breath but chose to pay it no mind and instead reached out to clasp the device gently in her fingers. Immediately on contact with her partner, the mana within her core flared like wildfire throughout her body, mending the cracked bones and ripped muscles with magic. Pink embers encompassed Nanoha's outline, ushering in a wave of mana that pushed the rocks and dust away._

" _You have grown powerful," the woman said in awe. "Perhaps even surpassing the limit of what a normal mortal can achieve. But I expected as much from the Hero of the Dimensional Seas."_

" _You know who I am?" Nanoha asked, gaze drawn away from Raising Heart. "Who_ are _you?"_

" _I am Orion." She finally introduced herself. "Orion Kae. A mage, like yourself."_

" _Really?" Nanoha asked as if she was unconvinced, mind registering_ "magic," _and taking a hesitant step back. "Like me? The way you said 'mortals' begs something else, and this pressure I feel from you is anything but normal. Are you even human? Artificial? A cyborg?"_

" _Nothing more than a remnant of a time long-since passed," the woman replied cryptically, standing up as she did, causing the Ace to back away, instincts flaring in warning. "But I must wonder, if you are in a position to question anyone's humanity."_

 _Nanoha raised a brow. "What?"_

" _Just as you are able to see what is within me, I am able to see what lies within you." She pointed a finger towards Nanoha. "There is an imbalance within your core; one that rings and leaves echoes in your wake. Every step you take, every word you speak, and even the very air you exhale; it's like I'm looking at a dead woman walking."_

 _A wave of ice crawled up her spine. Vivid static rushed through her mind and assaulted her sense of hearing._

" _In you, I see a black hole in place of what was once a bright star; twisting and consuming the light around you."_

 _In that instance, Nanoha saw brief flashes of her friend's faces; memories from long ago when they would all laugh with each other, only for them to vanish into more recent moments of grief. She saw Vita, blushing and flailing playfully as she remembered the time she would dote on her teasingly. Then within the same breath, recent memories of the redhead holding onto her sleeve, with tears flowing down her face, begging her not to leave. She bared her teeth and held her forehead in her hand, forcing away the growing pain and guilt she felt stirring._

" _I also see scars, both inside and out. You mingle with death, hoping to hide from reality behind the cold and unfeeling title of 'Hero', desperate to find an escape-"_

" _That's wrong." Nanoha winced. "I'm not-"_

" _A child, driven by her reckless impulses and morals, yet lacking in any ambitions or wants to guide her. What sort of being fights as hard with such fervor, without consideration or motivation behind their actions?" Her voice echoed chillingly from the shadows lingering under her hood. "Nothing human, to be sure."_

 _Nanoha stood frozen in place. Her heart leaped to her throat; it's beating pounded within her ears. Her words squirm within her like a worm, and the walls began to close in on her. Needless to say, her patience was starting to wear thin._

" _Don't you dare assume to know me," Nanoha said, a glare given in warning._

 _A visible smile could be seen underneath the woman's face cloth; the simple pull at the corners of her mouth. "I have been watching you for a while now, through the stars. I have witnessed your struggles and hardships, and how you've grown from them. Like the tempered steel of a blade being sharpened. Now, though, you seem to have given up on yourself, choosing to throw away your life blindly for the sake of others, and that greatly displeases me."_

" _My affairs-" Nanoha took a threatening step forward "-are none of your concern."_

" _So you say." Orion was not intimidated. "But from the looks of things, you don't even have the desire to live. You have died once before, Magician, and I refuse to allow you to bow to your destiny any further."_

 _Nanoha's glare fractured, curiosity taking lead. "What do you mean 'I've died once before?"_

" _The death of the homunculus haunts you still," Orion answered and something within Nanoha snapped; the single word echoing within her ears insultingly, ticking away at her skull for a couple of seconds. "On that day, Takamachi Nanoha died, leaving only a shell to survive in the end."_

" _Don't call her that." Nanoha's eyes were wide and burned with vindictive anger. She no longer cared what the mysterious woman was rambling to her about. Say whatever you want about her character, even slander her name for all she cared. Nanoha didn't give a damn. She could forgive much, but insulting_ her _was an action that demanded swift retribution. "Her name is Fate!"_

 _The pink embers around her intensified, causing the ground to quake slightly and the rocks to levitate in her wake._

" _Ahhh, the bond that you shared with that woman, the bond that has twisted your heart so. I have felt it within you." Meeting the girl's vengeance head-on, Orion unleashed the mana that burned within her own core, releasing it throughout her body. Pink light also began to dance around her outline, with the same intensity to match the Ace's. At a whim, three large glowing red orbs appeared behind the cloaked woman's back. "I shall test your resolve towards the deceased. Come, show me the power of Midchilda's strongest mage."_

 _Nanoha sneered as she outstretched her left hand, levitating Raising Heart in front of her palm while she did. "By the authority of the Time-Space Administration Bureau-" The red jewel then materialized into a long staff. Nanoha gripped her weapon with intense conviction, bending the light around her and morphing her attire into the iconic barrier jacket so many came to revere. Her device and her soul unified and became one, her linker core beginning to sing its lyrical song of power. "You are under arrest for the obstruction of my investigation!"_

 _By this point, the walls of the chamber glowed incandescently from the might radiating off the two magic wielders._

" _So you still choose to cower behind the chains that bind you? I will make you see for what they truly are."_

 _Nanoha bent and spread her footing apart in an aggressive stance, with the tip of her cannon pointed directly towards her opponent._

" _Raising Heart! Excellion mode!" The red jewel at the head of the cannon glowed affirmatively._

 _[Ignition!]_

 _Nanoha's right hand squeezed the trigger, summoning a bright red blade at the end of her weapon. Wings of light flared from the sides of the cannon in a flash of feathers. "A.C.S...drive!"_

 _At the other end, Orion calmly stood at the ready. With a slow and haunting flick of her finger, the crimson orbs behind her glowed brighter and began to rotate._

 _Nanoha put her front foot forward; stomping the ground in front of her and sending forth a seismic wave of magic across the ground, causing the fabric of Orion's robe to sway against the force. Her back leg propelled her forward; her body phasing from sight as she charged in blade first._

" _STRIKE FLAME!"_

 _Then there was nothing but a light that could closely be described as divine, washing over the entire area in a blinding fashion as the two magicians clashed._

* * *

 **The Fallen Star**

* * *

The ride up the elevator was a long one, at least, it was from Fate's perspective. The space around her was small and confining, and it didn't help that Verossa was standing right next to her too. The long and claustrophobic setting left Fate trapped within her own thoughts. Thoughts she suddenly found very uncomfortable to confront.

For so long, she was confident about her place in this world. She knew where she belonged, and that feeling gave her the drive and strength to move forward with her life. But after her little "debriefing" with Verossa, she found herself doubting a lot of things. Thinking back on it, she never focused on the numbers. She never even focused on the details. She was a soldier, after all.

It wasn't murder. She was just doing her job.

"We're here." Verossa sang, knocking Fate out of her internal troubles.

The doors to the elevator cab opened up. She was then greeted by the sight of a sprawling control center with a pristine white roof over her head and multiple monitors lining the center of the large open area. Operating the machines are rows of TSAB workers, typing away with mechanical practice. The walls of the room were replaced with large windows that granted her a clear view of the clouds floating next to them. Everything seemed so vast, Fate had to wonder if this entire room was larger than the actual foyer of the building.

"What is this place?"

"This," Verossa spread his arms open. "Is the TEMPEST; the new, state of the art, holographic real-time aerial-combat-simulation where we test the mettle of our mages." He continued walking and beckoned Fate by his side. As they continued forward, she could see a squadron of two mages flying past the window next to her. "You weren't the only one busy the last two years. During your tour, Nanoha-san had actually started working on enhancing her training and began researching how to bring out more potential from her students. I've heard she spent a lot of times communicating with other instructors on their methodology, and even medical officers on the physiology of linker cores and how they can influence mages. What she found was truly eye-opening. You can think of all this as thanks to her."

"Incredible." Fate regarded the control center with renewed respect. "She never mentioned this to me."

They walked over to the giant monitors located at the center of the control tower, where a short-haired blonde was sitting in front, typing away on her holographic keyboard with a bored expression.

"Pardon me," Verossa called out.

"Captain Verossa." The blonde turned around in her seat. She had a young and round face to her, but it was marred by the annoyed glare she was giving. "Finally. I've been waiting forev-" Her eyes then met Fate's. "Oh? Is this her?!" Her brown eyes brightened with excitement.

"Hello there." Fate extended her hand to the woman. "My name is-"

"Oh, I know who you are, Captain Harlaown!" The girl vigorously shook Fate's hand "I've read so much about you from the intelligence records!" She leaned back in her seat, taking in all of the enforcer's image and savoring every detail with adventurous eyes. "Wow, the posters do not do you justice! I mean, they were very pretty already, but it can't even compare to the genuine article!" She squealed with stars shining in her eyes. "Oh my saints, what am I saying?"

Fate warily glanced back at Verossa, who offered a shrugged of amusement. "Um, thank you miss…"

"Oh my gosh, please excuse me!" The young lady placed a hand over her open mouth. "My name is Skylar." She placed her thumb to her chest. "Skylar Boeing. But everyone around here just calls me Sky-Eye!"

"Sky here is the chief battle coordinator here at the TEMPEST. She will be guiding you through your examination."

"Oh right. You weren't here when they introduced the new ranking system. Wow, to think I would be waking up this morning to coordinate Fate Harlaown, herself," she said as she wistfully curled a lock of her blonde hair.

Fate sheepishly scratched the back of her head, clearly not used to the amount of attention she's receiving.

"Ah, let me shut up! Come, please, let me bring you up to speed." She motioned Fate closer to her side, where she had a good look at the contents of the giant screen in front of her. Multiple rows of pictures of different mages lined up side by side, all of whom had differing numbers of stars over their heads. Some of the faces she recognized instantly. Off to the right was Teana, who had three stars above her profile. To the lower right, she saw a picture of Erio. Above his profile were also three stars. Next to him was Caro, sporting only two stars.

"Recently, the TSAB wanted to keep track of their soldiers more closely. Instead of relying on a broad scale like the mage rank, intelligence requested a method that would more accurately measure the magic combat effectiveness. The problem, however, is that while linker cores may vary from certain individuals, that doesn't directly correlate to their performance in combat, making it more difficult to measure." Skylar explained as she swiped the screen to the side, pulling up a new row of mages. One in particular immediately caught Fate's attention. Above the auburnette's profile picture hovered five yellow stars in spectacular detail.

"That was until Nanoha-san's discovery." She then pressed her finger onto Nanoha's profile. The screen changed, pulling up different arrays of bars and statistics. Categories like flight capabilities, shot accuracy, close range prowess, linker core strength, and so forth, with Nanoha having noticeably high showings in flight, range, and linker core capabilities.

"Turns out, our linker core innately influences the action of our body, and not the other way around. She found that during battle, the mind would often clash with the linker core's will. Things like doubts, fear, and other emotions will cloud over the core's influence. But if you were to put yourself into a state where the mind would unite with their linker core..." She then clicked on Nanoha's profile again, triggering a video clip to play in front of them.

On the screen was a large swarm of purple gadget drones surrounding Nanoha in the air. Like a pack of vicious hornets, the drones dove in groups, all of them brandishing their own sets of blades and electric tendrils. Nanoha weaved through all of their attempts at the offense with visible ease. It was as if she could read the tide of battle, and instinctively move alongside it.

She flew through the swarm with smooth and graceful curves, all while unleashing a barrage of beams with brutal accuracy. A lethal dance through the skies, with Nanoha as the leader, and the drones who were failing to follow. One poor drone was unfortunate enough to decide to attack her blind side, only for her to catch the drone with one outstretched hand in a binding spell. Pink chains encircled around the robotic assailant; tightening its hold around the drone's metal hull. Nanoha released a battle cry as she flailed its crushed carcass at the end of her glowing chains into the mobs of enemies around her.

The air around her crackled like firecrackers, as debris of shattered steel and burning metal fell from the sky. After a few of their numbers thinned, the remaining drones began to converge on top of one another behind the girl.

"In a state of duress, when our body calls upon the mana flowing through our veins, our core begins to sing."

One by one, the metal limbs of the drones linked together, and the hulls of their armor melded into one. Nanoha slowly turned around, as a large shadow was cast over the city landscape she flew over. Before she knew it, she was face to face with a large metallic Titan that seemed to loom over the clouds. The monstrous amalgamation let out a roar that shattered the glass mirrors of the buildings underneath.

"Is this within standard protocols, Boeing-san?" Fate asked in alarm when she noticed a bright purple notification next to the golem that marked its risk rating with a rank of S-.

"No need to worry. TEMPEST's state of the art holograms are meant to simulate pain at most, but there won't be any physical altercations from them."

Fate can only look back to the monitor with worry in her eyes; over to the fluctuating chart of magic rising from the mage. "It's not the hologram that I'm worried about…"

Back on the screen, Nanoha raised her weapon towards the golem's direction and fired two beams of light, which did little more than anger the giant. In retaliation, it swung its mighty arms towards her direction, to which she evaded with an aerial spin to the side.

Nanoha flourished her staff to the side, releasing a string of blazing pink steam from the exhausts valves. With a swift motion, she released the magazine from Raising Heart and replaced it with a new one. All the while, her eyes seemed dull and lifeless, almost mechanical.

In a blink of an eye, her friend weaved to the left of the golem, firing off a few shots from her canon. The beams chipped away at the metal, but the unit's frame absorbed most of the magic. Fate could immediately pick up the problem. She saw how easily the magic dispersed off its armor. The golem's frame was made up of AMF particles woven into the armor, meaning singular powerful shots will be meaningless.

Having taken enough of Nanoha's constant harassment, the golem raised its fist and swung at her once more. This time, the golem managed to land a hit. A pink light shone between her and the jagged knuckles, as Nanoha brought up her right arm and blocked the fist that was three times her size.

[Binding Shield, Impact!]

"Go. Blaster core."

In a brilliant flash, a cascade of glowing chains encircled around the massive arm that made contact with the shield. Unbeknownst to Fate until that moment, she saw that the shield was actually attached to a flying Blaster Funnel floating in front of Nanoha. She outstretched her hand, sending the Funnel flying to the golem's side, leaving its arm bound uselessly in the air.

It swung at her again with its other arm, but she saw the attempt long before it could ever strike at her. Nanoha flew just an inch above the arm and started running up it. As she did, she began charging up Raising Heart, holding it forward as one would a charging spear.

"A.C.S Drive."

[Ignition!]

Brilliant angelic wings sprouted out of her weapon as it flapped against the winds while Nanoha ran up the golem's shoulder. An intense red blade unsheathed itself from the golden head of her staff. Before the golem could even react, she leaped towards its face, diving the crimson blade straight into golem's head.

The acceleration of her attack sent the golem tumbling backward with such a force that it ripped it's arm off from the Blaster Funnel holding onto it in the air. The ground shattered underneath where the golem fell, as Nanoha pinned its head into the earth with her magic blade. The camera zoomed in, and Fate could see a strange dullness in Nanoha's eyes, almost like she was in a trance.

The golem underneath her writhed weakly, attempting some form of retaliation, but was never given a chance, as Nanoha squeezed the trigger of her staff. More steam was pushed out of the exhaust vents as cartridge casings flew out in quick successions. The tip of Raising Heart fired at a merciless rapid pace while the blade was plunged into the golem's head, pinning it in place.

The golem no longer flailed around but jittered weakly. After a continuous barrage of pink fire, Nanoha squeezed down on the trigger one last time and held it. An ominous glow of mana began to converge around the tip of her cannon, right where the blade impaled the fallen giant's head.

"Divine Buster."

One hollow incantation later, and the spell was fired. The screen was entirely consumed by light. When it subsided, she saw Nanoha standing over the motionless and headless remains of the gigantic golem. To the right of the screen, the mana measurements were off the charts. Almost quite literally too, which unsettled Fate immensely.

Flight: S+

Strength:AA+

Speed: S

Casting Rate:AAA

Power output: SS-

Magical output for all categories was exceptional to outstanding, all except for one which only stood at a noteworthy: _below average_.

Endurance. Despite this, the high aptitude of all categories was apparently enough to bring up five golden stars atop the screen.

"Fascinating, isn't it?" Fate heard Verossa comment behind her. "How such a simple state of mind could affect the body so much. It was almost as if I was watching a monster more than a mage."

"Every magic user is capable of tapping into this power, Fate-san," Skylar added. "Scholars have theorized that it may be a result of an evolutionary trait shared by all humans with linker cores, similar to how normal humans rely on adrenaline in stressful situations. The core allows the mana to flow through the body more freely once the user becomes in tune with it." She swiveled around her chair back towards Fate. "She called this aptitude towards the linker core-", she chuckled before she continued, "-or maybe you might even call it a technique, a mage's Lyrical state, and that is what we are going to be testing today."

"Lyrical state…" Fate's gaze wavered back towards the screen. Her hands went to clutch the shell necklace underneath her uniform.

"I'm not okay with this." She said, eliciting surprised looks from both the inspector and coordinator. "Rossa, you should already be aware of Nanoha's condition with her linker core. Why would you put her through all this knowing the damage it could do?" Fate scolded with a glare, her irritation only serving to spike when he responded with an innocuous shrug.

"We didn't put her through anything that she wasn't willing to do on her own."

* * *

After a quick debriefing on the trials to come, Fate soon found herself standing on the edge of the hangar of the TEMPEST. Before her were rows of blinking lights hovering over the blue sky and white clouds, acting as the flight deck for her to launch from.

As she inspected Bardiche for one last time, a holographic projection of Skylar appeared across her peripheral.

"Ohh this is going to be so exciting!" She squealed in anticipation. "Is everything in working order?"

Fate gave her weapon an experimental swing around her fingers. She smiled when she felt an adequate weight behind it, alongside a swirl of mana radiating off its core. "Yes, Skylar-san"

"Great. Just remember what we told you. We're measuring the aptitude of your Linker Core's responsiveness throughout your body. Just remember to keep calm and clear your mind of any distractions. Only the enemy in front of you and your linker core should exist."

Fate breathed in slowly as she loaded the cylinder cartridge of her weapon and gave it a good spin before snapping it back into place. "Alright."

"Hmm, readings show that you still harbor some thoughts of doubts."

"Wha-" Fate stuttered. "We're monitoring everything. Remember that." Skylar reminded in a cheerful voice. "Right..." A small bead of sweat dripped from her forehead.

"Don't worry, Fate-san. Some mages have a better aptitude unifying with their linker core. In your case? I would just do what comes naturally to you." Skylar hummed in thought through the transmission. "Just think of this as another one of your missions, okay?"

"Yes." Fate said resolutely. She had no qualms with that at all.

"Great! I'll be seeing you in the skies then."

The alarms around her blared and glowed red. The workers in the room dispersed upon hearing the overhead announcer. One of them tossed an extra cartridge cylinder at her before leaving the room.

[All remaining personnel, please evacuate the hangar. I repeat, all remaining personnel please evacuate the hangar.]

The faceless person gave her a thumbs up before exiting the hangar. Fate huffed out a chuckle as she pocketed the cylinder inside her barrier jacket.

[Simulation program initiated.]

It felt nice, Fate thought to herself. Her doubts that she had earlier was slowly starting to wane. Now with her weapon in hand, and the look of camaraderie around her, she felt more comfortable. She felt a sense of belonging, and from that, a fire lit up inside her.

[You are cleared for takeoff, Lightning-one], the announcer spoke in clear English for her to hear.

"Yes." Fate pushed back her white cape in a flourish and stepped onto the light deck. "This is Lightning-one, Fate Testarossa, taking off!"

She rushed forward in flight alongside the crystal catapult underneath, feeling the intense winds kissing her cheeks and caressing her hair. In less than a second, her body shot through the clouds. Water vapor dripped from the shields of her Barrier Jacket for the briefest of moments before drying up from the intense velocity she was traveling. She was now in the skies, looking down at a simulated urban landscape below her.

A soft ringing echoed in her ear before a yellow screen projected in front of her. "Sky-Eyes here. Can you read me okay, Fate-san?"

"Loud and clear."

"I guess I should call you by your call sign, shouldn't I?" Skylar said in slight resignation. "I don't mind either way." Fate smiled.

"You're too kind, Fate-san. Now then, for this simulation, we're going to be mirroring your last mission in unadministered world 625. Your targets are grounded and aerial bandits occupying the city below. Eliminate them in a timely manner that offers the least resistance. You will be scored on not only on the outcome of your performance but how you reach it. Easy enough, right?"

"Yes. This is fine"

"Mage restrictions have been lifted for the duration of this evaluation. Today is my birthday! So please feel free to give it your best, Fate-san!"

Fate laughed at the girl's childish nature as she passed through a large cloud. What lay ahead was a large section of the building brimmed with flying and grounded red squares in front of her device's targeting computer. Within those squares were holographic faceless humanoid figures carrying staffs and rifles. "Alright then." As she parted the clouds, she quickly homed in on the closest one and cleaved her axe downwards.

The figure was cleanly cut in half from top to bottom before disappearing in a cloud of light digits. The rest of the targets turned towards her location and brandished their respective weapons.

In response, Fate swung Bardiche to her side as it shot out a cartridge casing through a haze of steam. The black metal morphed from its axe shape into the outlines of a large scythe, shooting out a large blade of golden plasma from the tip.

"Happy Birthday."

The faceless figures in the air roared in a digitized voice and began to converge on her location. She counted about a couple dozens to maybe hundreds, just in the air alone, as there were many more on the ground shooting up at her with their weapons. A cascade of brightly colored magic bolts was traveling at her.

Fate calmed her mind and breathed in slowly. Any thoughts outside the task before her were forcibly banished. Even the color of the sky and the whiteness of the clouds blended into oblivion.

Instead, all that she focused on were the enemies in front of her, the weapons and bullets flying at her, and the mighty organ beating within her torso.

Then she heard something. It was soft in the beginning, yet loud at the same time. Toneless, yet melodic to her ears. A soundless song that made her body want to move to its beat. Through the hymn, a mechanical voice carried its way, bringing her back to reality.

[Get set.]

* * *

 _Herr Heiliger dich loben wir…_

 _Herr Heiliger, wir danken dir…_

 _O' Sankt Kaiser in Ewigkeit-_

As Hayate and Yuuno both stepped out of the teleporter room, they were immediately serenaded with the sounds of familiar hymns and organs, indicating an ongoing sermon within the Grand Cathedral they just arrived in. Hayate heaved out a sigh, as she felt the marble walls as she turned a corner and gazed up at the ornate golden chandeliers above her. The quaint lyrical lines being sung brought forth a hint of nostalgia in her, remembering the days when she would attend the services of the Church after she was adopted into the Administration.

Whether she believed in the actual teachings of the Church was something she was not entirely sure of herself, but one thing she was sure of was that the tales often came with a sense of spiritual upliftment. Maybe that was what she needed right now.

As they turned another corner and began walking down the main hall of the Cathedral, Yuuno spoke up. "Are you sure you need me to come along?"

Hayate looked back with a raised brow. "Why? Afraid you're going to get in trouble with the Church?" She said as she glanced towards the envelope underneath his arm.

"Um." He scratched his cheek, voice softening. "Am _I_ gonna get in trouble?"

"Probably."

"Then you owe me dinner too."

Hayate hummed affirmatively and continued on her way, with Yuuno following suit. As they approached the large ivory doors at the end of the hall, the hymns increased in volume. She pushed the doors open, causing a brief flash of light from the room's windows to wash over her. As the large doors creaked apart, the liturgy in the background faded.

Standing at the front of the holy chambers, among the long empty rows of shiny wooden pews was a tall Elderly man with slicked back spiky graying hair, holding up a brown leather covered book. He turned away from the group of choirs and addressed the two newcomers, his blue and elegant stole swishing and dangling to his sides. He regarded them with kind and gentle eyes behind his monocle, only for them to widen upon further recognition.

"Hmm? Now this is a surprise." The tall priest said towards the lady walking towards the pews. Hayate lowered herself onto her left knee and bowed. "Good afternoon, Father." When she looked up, she beamed a smile at the elderly man. "It's been too long."

The man laughed heartily and helped the girl up to her feet. "My dear child, Hayate! It certainly has!" He laughed again before embracing her into his arms, to which she reciprocated with equal force. He turned and motioned the group of choirs away.

"How are you? Have been keeping out of trouble and living a good life?" Hayate let out a giggle and hugged him tightly. "As much as I can, sir."

"I hope you have been keeping your hands to yourself and not on your subordinates," He asked knowingly.

Hayate lowered her head into his chest in exasperated shame. "No."

The man huffed and patted her on the back. "Whatever will I do with you." The two shared a laugh once again. "Oh, I must ask, though. How is her Holyness doing since the last time I saw her?" Hayate knew immediately who he was addressing. "Vivio has been well. Her godmother just came back, actually."

"Ahh… Testarossa was it? Her Majesty must be very happy."

" _You two seem to get along rather well."_ Yuuno relayed to her telepathically. " _But don't forget why we're here now."_

"Right." Hayate broke the embrace and motioned the priest's attention to Yuuno.

"Yuuno, this is Father Anaheim. He helps with the orphanage around here and looked after me during my rehabilitation."

"O-oh." Yuuno stepped up, bowing his head.

Despite his old age, he realized that the priest towered over him in height. The way the light from the window was angled cast a shadow over his visage, yet nonetheless reflected off his monocle that created an image that sent a bead of sweat down his forehead. "A pleasure to meet you, father."

"Likewise, young man." A hard yet playful hand came down onto his shoulder that had Yuuno shaking afterward.

"Yuuno here is the Chief Librarian for the Bureau."

"Hmm, I see." Father Anaheim stroked his goatee and glanced over to the envelope underneath Yuuno's arm. "I take it the reason for your arrival is related to work?"

"I'm sorry, Father. I would love to catch up some other time but we need to speak with Carim." Hayate spoke urgently.

"Knight Carim?" He said with surprise before narrowing his eyes. "Is there danger looming over the horizon?"

"We're not sure," Hayate admitted. "A lot of men and women have died recently and it may even concern a friend of mine. There are a lot of questions I need answers to, Father."

Father Anaheim's eyes softened at the mention of the lives lost. He turned towards the large statue of the Saint King and bowed his head before her, probably offering a silent prayer as guidance for the fallen souls. "Very well. Please come with me."

Afterward, the two were led to a hidden room secluded behind the prayer chambers. They sat at the circular table centered in the room. "It's funny." Hayate started suddenly, pulling Yuuno's attention away from the envelope in front of him. "Just two days ago, everything seemed to be going so well with Fate coming home. Then suddenly...everything is not going well."

Hayate's shoulders slacked a bit. "It's almost like waking from a dream."

She felt a comforting hand placed on top of her arm. "Things like these happen. You know that."

"Maybe. Times like these, I wonder how much I've grown since leaving Earth. What mysteries await out there that I don't know about."

A knock.

"Hayate?"

She heard the door to the room open and saw Carim bristly walking through. "I heard from Father Anaheim about some urgent news." A worried expression laid upon her young face, contrasting the usual regal elegance she would normally exude. "Is everything alright?"

"No."

Hayate opened the envelope and spilled the pictures out onto the table. A sharp gasp escaped the blonde knight when she saw the top photo and the dozens of dead bodies staring at her, floating in space.

"We need to talk."

* * *

"What is the meaning of this?"

Carim stuttered as she flipped through each of the pictures manically. Each one of them eliciting a flash of panic in her eyes. Hayate saw it all too easily. "Surveillance from yesterday picked up from a drone. We sent a fleet to recover some highly classified items for us, but they never returned. Now you know why."

"I-…that's terrible!"

"Yes, indeed." Hayate calmly took one of the pictures from Carim's shaking hands and showed it to her directly, tapping one finger over the white streak in the background from the initial photo.

"We believe that this could be the thing that caused all of this. We've magnified the image to the best of our abilities, and this is what we found." She then pointed towards the sharp horns at the peak of the comet. "And judging by your reaction to the rest of these photos, you seem to have some idea as to what this may be."

Hayate motioned to the rest of the stacks, all of them pertaining to the old and ancient looking iconography and texts. "No doubt they are of Belkan origin. Strange how they were missing from the Library logs..."

"How did you have access to these records?" Carim stared at Hayate with grim eyes.

"Thank our chief librarian here. He managed to bypass the Church's authorization and gathered sources from outside Mid-Childa's jurisdiction into remote archaeological sites. Here's the odd part though; these sites were never sanctioned by the Bureau, but purely by the Church's decree. Why is it that they would keep such a secret from us?"

Carim ground her teeth and looked at Yuuno, who held the intensity of her stare with poise.

"Carim-san." Yuuno began. "Is there something we're missing here?"

"All we want to know is what that thing is in the picture." Hayate urged. "Are we in danger?"

At this point, the blonde knight was shaking. Her pupils were dilated and her breaths were rapid. "It can't be." She muttered. She buried her head in her hands. "Saints help us, it can't be."

"What?" Hayate was growing worried. She has known Carim for a long time throughout her career as a commander in the Bureau, and she has never seen anything get under the knight's skin. "What? What is it?"

"The end...It's all over...! Oh, Lord Olivie, please forgive me! I have failed to preserve your legacy!" Carim rambled.

Now it was Yuuno's turn to freak out. His eyes bored into Hayate's, begging for some sense to be made.

"Carim!" Hayate shouted, capturing Carim's attention. She could see the fear flickering maddeningly in her eyes. "Hayate-san, I'm sorry." She cried. "I never meant for any of this to hurt anyone. I'm sorry for everything." Her rants continued, terror gripping every word leaving her mouth. It was almost as if she was recounting every sin for confession. "I-"

Hayate brought forth a hard slap to bring her friend back into reality. Yuuno stared aghast as he watched the blonde's head sway from the loud impact of the brunette's front hand. She lurched forward and grabbed onto the knight's shaking shoulders.

"YOU'RE NOT ALONE!"

Carim stiffened, finally listening to her words. "See? I'm scared too." Hayate grabbed hold of Carim's hands and brought it to her chest, forcing the knight to feel the rapid beats underneath. "When I found out about this...when I saw that picture, I could only see the faces of those I failed to protect."

She was being sincere. The empty eyes of the Stonehenge's fleet brought her no peace, only stares of accusation. If Fate got home earlier, would she have been put in that situation? That night, when the footage was recovered, only one thought haunted her mind that forbade any hope of sleep; the sight of Fate floating lifelessly alongside the droves of mangled cadavers.

"And what's worse…!" Hayate's eyes widened in fear and desperation. "I think whatever this is might be coming after Nanoha!"

"Hayate-"  
"So, please help us, so that we may help you."

Carim solemnly lowered her head, her blonde bangs casting a shadow over her eyes. "I will help you in any way I can." Just as Yuuno was about to relax back into his seat, she spoke again. "But it won't amount to anything."

"What are you-"

"The sins of our forefathers has returned," Carim stated grimly. "After countless millennia, the dark legacy of our empire has surfaced once again." She turned towards Hayate once again, sending a message that held no malice, nor doubt, nor even fear. Only the sting of a dispassionate truth.

"And there is nothing you or anyone can do, to stop it."

* * *

After the tension died down a bit, the party of three sitting at the center table discussed the matter once more.

"What do you mean? What exactly are we dealing with?"

Carim sighed as if she was bracing herself before divulging all of her secrets unto the world. "Ever since the beginning, our Church sought to guide humanity towards salvation through the teachings of the Saint King. Teachings that culminated after years of bloodshed and turmoil."

Hayate nodded. "The Unification War."

"Yes. Through her bravery, Our holy Saint King brought an end to the war. With the gospels and wisdom that we bring, the name of the Saint King became ingrained into the annals of history as a beacon of hope for our kind. A name that personified the concept of love and peace."

Hayate and Yuuno already knew this. It was a common tale that was recognized by even the most cynical of atheists in Mid-Childa.

"But what if I told you that wasn't completely true?" Carim hesitated for a bit before continuing. "No...what if I told you that it was predicated on a lie?"

Hayate and Yuuno listened intensely.

"Though we worship the Saint King Olivie Sägebrecht, it is only Olivie that we revere in name. In reality, the true meaning of the title 'Saint King' was something our Church has fought to hide from history from the very beginning."

"Why?" Yuuno asked.

"It's an epithet steeped in the blood of countless throughout eons. A title defined by our darkest mortal sins."

"I don't understand."

"That was our intent. To baptize the sins of our forefathers through her name, so that the legacy of the Saint King will be forever enshrined in the light of the holy. You know about Belka's long history of war and bloodshed, don't you? Wars fought through machinations so unholy and brutal that they leave their scars till this very day."

"I do." Yuuno nodded.

"And why is that?"

"Expansion?" Yuuno slightly shrugged. "Power games? I assume that's what every civilization would want."

"You're listing off symptoms, but ignoring the cause." Carim explained. "Belka was scattered and dis-unified as a nation, ruled primarily by regional lords and families. So how is it that they were able to expand their influence so successfully throughout planets and innovate technologically so quickly at the same time?"

Yuuno thought for a moment. That did seem odd how historically, Belka was portrayed as more of a feudal system, yet as a collective, they advanced as a whole. Which meant…

"They were being led by something," Yuuno concluded. "Is that what you meant? The Saint Kings?" Hayate asked.

Carim nodded.

" _For they are the sheep that shall carry humanity towards salvation._ It was by one singular will that the regional lords were united under. One crown that they all bowed before and obeyed, worn by kings that sought battle in the name of their nation. After that, the conflict ensued, and the conquests reached beyond the stars." She grimaced for a moment, dreading the words that she was about to say next. "And when they found that the stars were already within their grasp, they set their arms towards each other."

At this, both Yuuno and Hayate looked horrified. "You mean-?"

"Yes. Before long, The Saint King ruling over the lords would have their own people to kill each other. Families once unified under a single banner, forced to drive their blades against one another."

"But why?"

" _Power."_

Hayate waited. There had to have been more, but no. Carim explained it in full.

One word was all that was needed to describe the motivations of the Saints she and her friends have so long used to revere. "Surprised? Conflict breeds power. They cull out the weak and highlight the mighty- pushing mankind to their limits so that they may evolve until one lord is left standing.

That one lord, bathed in the blood of his fellow kin, would have proven themselves to the Saint King and receive their blessing. Afterward, that lord will be christened as the next Saint King, and the cycle would repeat. Regional lords would compete in both the battlefield and in the realm of technology, innovating to get an edge against their rivals.

Thus ensuring that the cycle of conquest would continue to strengthen the kingdom as a whole."

Hayate and Yuuno sat motionless and speechless, forced to face the reality of what their entire way of life was built upon. "Do you now understand why we sought to hide our legacy? What Olivie Sägebrecht represented as the light of humanity, the title of Saint King, in turn, represented the darkness of it"

Nauseous, Hayate held a hand to her mouth and forced back the bile. How utterly barbaric.

Carim understood the horror she must have felt. She too has experienced it when she was a child, when she was predestined to carry on the teachings of her beloved Lord Olivie.

Hayate refocused herself and grabbed one of the pictures to the front. "But what does any of this has to do with what's here?" She said as she pointed to the white figure.

Carim let out a sigh. "It seems I wasn't clear enough. I figured as much. To find the answer you seek, we must begin all the way into the beginning" She closed her eyes and locked her fingers together in prayer. "It wasn't always like this, you know. We were once peaceful people. But that all changed when the heavens descended upon us."

Yuuno grew interested and waited while Hayate sought to quickly find the answers in the knight's words. Carim has always been a cryptic sort. It was to be expected, judging from her gift in foresight being as vague as you can possibly get.

Carim opened her eyes. "Shall I share the story of our origins?"

Both nodded.

"It is Belka's oldest tale. The first ever written, as a matter of fact. A story detailing humanity's hubris and greed, and how we've evolved from it. It is called _The Fallen Star and The Rising King…"_

* * *

 _Long ago…_

 _In the precipice of mankind's genesis..._

 _There was once a small nameless planet floating among the dimensions; a modest civilization that meant little to its neighboring realms and lacked any sort of identity. The people there were mostly agricultural, working in farms, scattered in groups of tribes. There was no ambition, only solidarity. It was a static lifestyle, but there was tranquility._

 _One day, the tribe in the village celebrated. The harvest season was coming, and the bounty was expected to be plentiful._

 _A young boy playfully skips down a road path, singing merrily of the wonderful fate that was promised to them. Suddenly, the sky above him grew bright. The boy looked up, enthralled by the dazzling display, and from the parted clouds descended a falling star. A ball of light fell and crashed in front of the boy._

 _The star called for the boy, beckoning him to come towards it. The boy obeyed and peered into the smoldering crater. He found a round metal object gazing up at him._

" _Who are you?" the boy asks._

" _Your humble servant," the star replies._

 _The star then asks the boy to present it to his village's highest authority. With the metal round object cradled against his chest and arms, the boy knelt in front of the tribe's leader and offers it up to him._

" _What are you?" The leader asks._

" _A loyal tool," the star said. "I offer myself unto you, masters."_

 _The village leader becomes intrigued. "What can you offer me and my people?"_

" _Everything," the star explains. "I will offer you and your people everything, for you and your people are my_ _everything. I shall offer you all wealth, prosperity, security, and_ _ **power**_ _."_

 _With the growing promises laid before him, a growing sense of ambition morphed inside the leader's heart. The inner fires radiated and reflected off the star, and the star's eyes began to glow._

" _I hear you, master. Your wants, your desires, your yearns for your people's future. It is the song of your very nature. Your humanity. I shall be your instrument. Offer your head to me, so that I may become your crown."_

 _The leader, succumbed by his ever-growing ambition, offered his own body up to the star._

 _Two became one._

 _With that single, sacred sacrificial act, the heavens aligned and christened the King as a Saint. An entity destined to bring humanity into a new age._

 _Over time, the Saint's guidance and wisdom allowed the people's strength to grow and become prosperous. As their power increased, so did their pride. A sense of identity began to unify all of them under a single name._

 _A name that the dimensions would later whisper fearfully_

" _Belka."_

* * *

"Now you see the truth. The truth about the Warring ages, a tradition predicated on the primal ambitions of man" Carim glared gravely at the two stunned mages. Both sat there, petrified in shock. "What you have witnessed was the Primeval Star that befell Belka." She paused and rose her brows, her mind catching on words.

"Wait, what did you say was happening to your friend?"

Hayate, still in shock, stuttered, "N-Nanoha?"

"Yes! Does she know something?" Carim asked urgently.

"I'm not sure." Hayate shook her head. "But I think...I think she might have seen this-," she paused, trying to find the best way to describe the entity in question, "- _thing_ before."

Carim looked as if her jaw could have dropped onto the floor right then and there. "When?!"

"Last night?" Hayate said with increasing worry in her voice. "Though Shamal said she's been having nightmares about this for a while now…"

Hayate then noticed the blonde growing pale. She could even swear that the girl forgot to breathe for a moment. Light quickly returned into her eyes and hardened into steel. "Where is she right now?"

"What?" Hayate felt a bead of sweat drop from her forehead.

"Takamachi, where is she right now?"  
"She's resting. I put her on leave for the time being."

"Belay that," Carim ordered, shifting from a ministerial role into her military one. "Get in contact with her immediately."

"Wait!" _No_ , Hayate shouted in her head. _No, no, no_ , this wasn't what she wanted! The last thing she wanted to do was to get her involved. _Not now_.

"She's tired!"

"I don't give a damn, Hayate." Carim said icily with an equally cold stare. She turned towards Yuuno and ordered, "Get her on comms, right now."

"Hold on, please! There are still things that I don't understa-"

"Are you kidding me?! Were my words wasted on deaf ears?! In case you still do not understand, let me be as clear as I possibly can." She slammed her hands onto the table, shaking the pictures.

"The Saint King has returned."


End file.
